Federalism 101
Federalism 101
Federalism 101
Since the early 1970s some have argued that the federal
government has grown too powerful and that power should
be given back to the states.
Pros:
Fosters state loyalties: Because states have powers all
their own citizens feel closely connected to their states.
Practices Pragmatism: Each state is unique and state and
local government can more efficiently respond to unique
local issues.
Laboratories of Democracy: State governments can
experiment with policies and other states and the federal
government can learn from their success and failures.
Political Stability: By removing the federal government from
some contentious policy areas federalism allows the
government to achieve and maintain stability.
Pros and Cons of Federalism
Pros:
Encourages pluralism: Allows citizens multiple points of
access and influence in government (local, state, national).
Ensures separation of powers and prevents tyranny: Even
if one person or group (faction) took control of all three
branches of the federal government federalism ensures
that state governments would still function independently
(Federalist #10 and Federalist #51).
Pros and Cons of Federalism
Cons:
Prevents creation of national policy: The United States
often doesnt have a single policy on issues; it often has
51 policies. (marijuana, gay marriage)
Leads to a lack of accountability: The overlap of
responsibilities makes it hard to assign blame or find the
roots of failure in policies.
Citizen Ignorance: Since most Americans know very little
about their state and local governments and turnout in
these elections is typically less than 25%, citizens often
ignore the level of government that has the greatest
ability to affect their lives.