Author Paul Peterson, in The Price of Federalism describes advantages and disadvantages to the system of federalism. Using textual support from the article, convince me of whether or not you think a federal system meets the needs of Americans today? In answering, be sure to state whether you believe the national government has too much power, too little power, or just the right amount.
You should post an original response by Friday 10/3/2008 at 11:59 pm. Then, you should thoughtfully comment on two of your compatriots by Sunday at 11:59 pm.
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136 comments:
wtp is first
Are there really 8 current events due tomorrow???
Well that article was really long and I kinda passively read the whole thing but what I got from it was that federalism is good as long as it is not over done.
Giving separate powers to national and state governments definitely has it's advantages. Since America is a rather large country, there are different regions that have different resources, populations, and economies. All of these different elements can not be dealt with the same way. For example, the rest of this country cannot be run the same way as Nevada because every state isn't a huge tourist magnet.
This country is just too diverse for one branch of government to handle. It just wouldn't work.
With that said, federalism cannot be over done. The national government definitely needs more power than the states. Giving too much power to the states could result in a situation similar to that under the Articles. No national laws would be passed, we would not have an effective military to defend ourselves, and differences between different regions of this country would become so defined and hardened that conflict would be inevitable. Just look at the Civil War.
So yea, I know it sounds like I just totally contradicted my original view point but what I'm trying to get at is that there needs to be a balance between the two extremes. I'd say right now the national government has ABOUT (not exactly) the right amount of power.
The United States has an effective government system worked out. It has been revised and renewed, and is currently one of the most powerful governments around the world.
By separating the powers into state and national governments, we are allowing power to be balanced enough as to avoid any major issues. Taxation is split up into divisions also so that each level of government can act independently. I agree with Ryan that this way, each state can be set their own individual rules based on its personal needs.
While this separation is crucial, it is also important that the national government remain the most significant. Our economy and nation as a whole has benefited from this system of power distribution. Our past is an example in itself of what can happen if one individual party has too much singular power, this includes the states.
In conclusion, it is relevant from history that a federal system is, theoretically and systematically, the best governmental system in place today. Our national government has generally a good amount of power and i believe that it is only in need of some minor power shifts, but overall, we have come far as a nation, and that is the result of our federal system.
I believe that the National Government has just the right amount of power. We can clearly see that as it has lasted for over 200 years so obviously something must be working.
Also giving any more power to the states would just lead us back to when we had the Articles of Confederation. Our national government would soon just be a meaningless part of our lives as we wouldn't be able to collect needed taxes properly and defend or enforce our national laws and this was exactly what the Anti-Federalists wanted. This is exactly why the Federalists needed "much more energy, stability,and efficiency in the national government."
So yes, our national government is great just as it is with more power than our state governments as it should have.
Is response to ryman:
What you said about giving separate powers to national and state governments is true which is why we have them...
Our state government is here for just that reason, to pass laws according to a states resources, populations and economies just as you said.
It's just that our state governments don't have as much power as our national governments but they do have enough to all that you described.
So after reading, and contemplating my answer, I think federalism CAN and does meet the needs of us Americans.
Think about it, with federalism comes more national governmental jurisdiction. Yes, states love their power, but can they really be a successful state with MORE power? We ALREADY have state conflicts with other states because of the power we have now. That's like leaving a five year old at home. Chaos is bound to be the outcome.
And is federalism really so bad? Our military is based off federalism. Without them, it leaves us completely vulnerable. They'll make the choices they feel necessary. Our voices are still heard. We haven't lost COMPLETE power. So what's the big deal?
We have to think about what will benefit us in the long run.. and honestly, this will.
In Response to Bridgette and Ryman:
Our government is one of the most powerful. And it IS successful. Of COURSE there's always room for improvement, but right now, it works.
In response to A_Scharosch
Yeah I agree with most of the stuff you said but government power has changed throughout history. For example, during Roosevelt's terms, the many government programs that he put into effect "made federalism almost nonexistent" were as the government under Calvin Coolidge made the national government pretty much "nonexistent." There are still debates today over whether issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and the death penalty should be left up to the national government or state governments. That's why I said that the national government doesn't have the exact amount of power because I believe that some things that are state issues should be national issues and vice versa.
In response to Chelsea B.
I wasn't making a big deal of America's current situation right now. I was talking about the general concept of federalism and yes it is bad if it is overdone. That's why certain tragedies such as the Civil War and the Great Depression have happened. Even right before the Civil Rights movement, the states had too much power. During that time, segregation should've been a national issue. But instead, it was a state's issue so there was heavy segregation in certain places like the south and there was a lot of conflict and violence that took place before the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional and national government intervened. So yes, federalism can really be that bad if it is overdone.
I believe that the federal system meets Americans needs for today because as our country grew we revised our beliefs as a nation and instead of having the power “divided between the nation and its states. Now it is divided between “cities, towns, school districts, special districts, each with its own elected leaders and taxing authority” I believe as America evolves we will continue to change our perspective of federalism.
It is hard to choose between the government having too much or too little. So I am going to pick that they have just the right amount of power but at times it seems like they have too much. Times when the government is able to make major decisions effecting the people without consulting the people.
Although we have come far as a nation, what we are doing obviously has its flaws. No government is pristine and perfect, therefore, changes must be made. Take the current situation for example. In the recent news, our government had to pass a 700 billion dollar bailout plan in order to extricate from the disaster of an economy we have.
Seriously, our government to this day has economic problems. With China's power growing, US place as the ruler of the world will soon be upheaved. If our federal system was correct, we would not be in this turmoil. So does the federal system meet requirements? Both yes and no. The system has allowed us to make changes to the bill of rights and mold into the current situation. In the past few decades, this system has suited us very well; there was a constant wave of prosperity.
In the current day, national government has too much power to spend money in the stock market, or just to waste prodigally. The "dual sovereignty" presented in The Price of Freedom is not exactly taking place. In the bailout policy, we could use the 700 billion dollars to pay every household 6200 dollars, buy every nfl, mlb, and nba team and build new stadiums for them, or just pay 7 percent of our national debt.
Literally, it is a heavy price. "The price to be paid for modern ferderalism did not become evident until government attempted to grapple with the adverse side effects of a burgeoning capitalist economy." In order to ensure economic disasters does not result again, more finance and power should rest in the states to equalize the power like the bicameral system. Since "the New Deal, the constitutional power of the national government expanded so dramatically that the doctrine of dual sovereignty virtually lost all meaning." Basically, states do not have as much power as national government.
The Great Depression was a time when national government power expanded. "Relations between eployers and their workers... suddenly became part of interstate commerce" due to the controlling force of national government.
In my opinion federalism does meet the needs of Americans today. The national government has just the right amount of power, and the states have their own power to create their own rules. Federalism "has facilitated capital growth and development," and has created "social programs that improved the quality of life of Americans.” By separating the powers into the national and state government each has "control of its own sphere." Each level of government can concentrate on their own resources and needs without affecting everyone else. The state and nation are responsible for their own political leaders and they have their "own spending capacity." By dividing the levels of government between the state and the nation the constitution has secured equal opportunities for everyone and has kept the power away from the majority.
I believe that our National Government has enough power. This country has gone through a lot to get to where it is right now, and federalism has a lot to do with it. Although in its early stages federalism cost many lives, for example through the Civil War for freedom, it preserved the liberty we have today. Modern federalism separates power among cities, counties, towns, school districts, and many more not just between the state and nation. Though this creates more ways to help the community, but business leaders actually have a harder time reaching out to the needy. Almost half of the all government spending for domestic purposes is paid for by state governments, which is not fair.
The way a country should be run should change with the customs of the time period. Today, the federal system does not entirely meet the needs of Americans, but I don’t know any type of government that entirely meets the needs of a people. The national and state governments are necessary in order for the country to run effectively; this way, no one government will control “all centers of governmental power” and therefore reduces threats to liberty and denies power to “any single dictator.”
A national government is very important and should theoretically have more (but not too much) power over states because “division of power among multiple sovereigns encourages bickering among them. Conflicts become inevitable, as each sovereign tries to expand its power.”
Our government today, evolved from the bicameralism envisioned by the Federalists, places just a little (and I mean just a little) too much power in the national government. Take education for example. The American education is defined by local and popular control in states; because the national government was concerned with the lack of equal education opportunities, they started to provide aid which soon grew into establishing educational requirements and standardized testing, diminishing the diversity needed for competition.
Federalism as we have it now (a strong central government with the state and local governments still have some authority) is what I think is the best option.
We cannot have only a central government running everything. America is too diverse for just one body to run it. Different cities/states/regions have different concentrations of different peoples with different views, opinions, and cultures and also different levels of abundance of different resources with different economic value and importance. We need state and local governments to have authority to cater to the different needs of its diverse constituents and to manage its respective resources.
However, “sovereignty must be concentrated in the hands of the national government;” we need a very strong central government, whose power is quite stronger than that of the states. Dual federalism will simply just not work. If states are given power that is even close to equal that of the central government, then the interests of the states can and will be of greater importance than those of the nation as a whole and what we will have is not a nation made up of constituent states, but in fact, a loose confederation made up of different nations, and the price of such a confederation, the “price of dual sovereignty [is] war,” a civil war.
A strong central government is needed to run the nation as a whole, but there must still be some powers reserved to the state and local governments to serve the different needs of the people. The current state of our government now in which the central government has most of the power and the state/local governments having some is what I think is best for America.
~Louis Rotea
Federalism does not meet the needs of america today. the national government has acquired more and more power over time. the article says federalism isnt "even conducive to the preservation of liberty." more specifically the execuative branch is allowed too much power. for example, the patriot act, which gives the president power to accuse people by only suspicion and no search warrant. this unlimits the power of arrest. this is not right for americans today or americans for anytime.
response to will
im a little confused on which side your on, do u think the bail out is an example of the government having too much power or not?
While federalism is better than most forms of government for Americans who take pride in their individuality and freedoms, the federal system does not meet all of the needs of Americans today. When the anti-federalists feared "insufficient separation of powers" and a government "unresponsive to the needs of diverse and widely scattered people," they had just reason to do so. This is because over time, the national government has gained too much power and has meddled in affairs it ought not to be meddling in, which should be left to the states to decide. Paul Peterson even mentions in his essay that the constitution was never perfect, even when it was first drafted. As he says, "accomodation" and "ambiguities" were made, which suggests that the constitution never really got federalism down 100%. Since these ambiguities have existed, the national government has been able to display dominance in ways that were not intended, which has led to discontent from many Americans who find they do not have the freedoms they desire.
I believe that a federal system suits America today. Having power and governments spread amongst the country is a good idea. This has its advantages also. America is a pretty good sized country, which means different regions have unique needs and schedules. Also the spreading of the power avoids larger problems from arising. Overall federalism is a great way to accomadate Americans, but as time goes on America's idea of federalism will vary.
the national government seems to have the right amount of power. There are time when the people of our country might think that the government has to much power but when they are on the defensive side of the argument their idea seems to change. I cant even think of any example to say that they have to little power so that is out of the question. Though we may not always be happy with the decisions of the national government, in the end they have the right amount of power to make the decision needed.
I do not think Federal system meets the needs of Americans today. “Early Federalism may have initially helped to preserve liberty but it did so at a terrible price” that price to me is the national debt that the American government is in. One of the main concerns with the federal system is the ability to balance the government’s budget. The world has changed a lot since the Federal system was first created. Think about technology in the last 25 years, spectacular advances in technology have transformed everything from how we do business to how we communicate, to how we treat and cure diseases. Our society has moved from the industrial age to the knowledge age, where specialized knowledge and skills are two keys to success. Unfortunately, the United States—which gave the world Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Bill Gates—now lags behind many other developed nations on high school math and science test scores.
In many respects, our quality of life has never been better. We’re living longer, we’re better educated, and we’re more likely to own our own homes. But as many of you already know from your own families, we also face a range of quality-of-life concerns. These include poor public schools, gridlocked city streets, inadequate health care coverage, and the stresses of caring for aging parents and possibly our own children at the same time.
We also face a range of serious challenges when it comes to health care, education, energy, the environment, foreign policy, immigration, infrastructure, Iraq, and other issues. Current U.S. policy in all these key areas is on an unsustainable path over the long term. Tough choices must be made, and the sooner the better.
The Government needs to impose meaningful budget controls on both the tax and the spending sides of the ledger. Members of Congress also need more explicit information on the long-term costs of spending and tax bills—before they vote on them. For example, the Medicare prescription drug bill came with an $8 trillion price tag. But that fact wasn’t disclosed until after the bill had been passed and signed into law.
But if our government is to successfully address the range of challenges I mentioned earlier, government transformation is also essential. Every federal agency and every federal program is going to have to rethink its missions and operations.
The problem is that much of government today is on autopilot, based on social conditions and spending priorities that date back decades. I’m talking about when Harry Truman and John Kennedy were in the White House. The fact is, the Cold War is over, the baby boomers are about to retire, and globalization is affecting everything from foreign policy to international trade to public health.
Unfortunately, once federal programs or agencies are created, the tendency is to fund them in perpetuity. This is what I mean when I say our government is on autopilot. Washington rarely seems to question the wisdom of its existing programs. Instead, it simply adds new programs on top of the old ones. As President Ronald Reagan once quipped, a government program is “the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” This is a key reason our government has grown so large, expensive, and way too powerful.
American families regularly clean out their closets and attics. Surplus items are either sold at yard sales or given to charity. Unfortunately, when it comes to federal programs and policies, our government has never undertaken an equivalent spring cleaning.
We need nothing less than a top-to-bottom review of federal programs, policies, and operations. Congress and the President need to decide which of these activities remain priorities, which should be overhauled, and which have simply outlived their usefulness.
I think the federal system does meet the need to americans today. The government has the right amount of power, its worked before its working not and it should work in the future. Although the government does make some decisions without the peoples opinion
i believe that our federal system does meet the needs of americans today. we have enough of a separated power of state and nation. I think that the national government has the right amount of power because if the national government did not hold the power then it would fall into the hands of the states and if that did happen then each state would seek out a life of governing that would benifit the selfish needs of themselves. Going back to what is said in the article that people will become criminals just to simply avoid being the victims a state could stoop to low levels and possibility cause a war just because they want the best for themselves. it is better to have the national government because it keeps the people together. The national government that we have is enough and gives the states the chance to lead a bit of a separated way of life with their own indivisualistic tasks of getting things done.
I think that the federal system meets Americans needs for today and has just the right amount of power. As Peterson said "If no government exists to put malefactors in jail, everyone must become a criminal symply to avoid being a victim." They have the right amount of power to proctect our state and make the rules of the state.
American federalism has most definitely changed since its conception, but one thing hasn’t: the fact that it works. Most of the time, at least. Sometimes nothing gets done in congress or in either house, but for the most part decisions are made that generally benefit the majority of people. Without that separation, the government would “nasty [and] brutish.” This is not to say that while our federation works and is appropriate to suit the needs of our people, that it is perfect. Far from it, in fact. The current executive branch has expanded its power to an uncomfortable extent, with the current patriot act and a recently passed electronic monitoring bill that allows the government to snoop our emails, should they choose, without any way of us knowing. That’s right, access our private accounts and read our emails. Anyway, the executive branch has “expanded its power, so as to avoid becoming the prey of another competing sovereign.”
The separation into several thousand governments has provided for us a government that might actually be run by the people, since so many different governments, ranging from extremely local (districts) all the way to the legislative branch, are elected by people who know the person they are voting for, since they have probably followed them from their political campaign’s beginning. Or to some extent of that, anyhow. The fact of the matter is that some decisions are meant to be left to individual states, and it seems as though this important fact is becoming more evident, given the recent gay marriage allowing in the states of Massachusetts and California. Some decisions are simply not meant to be made by the national government, and many more issues such as abortion should be left up to state legislatures also. Federalism is cool. End.
So I don't know why that magically changed to just plain Nicholas, but that last comment by Nicholas was actually from me Mr. West, Nicholas Weiser.
"A division of power between national and state governments reduces the possibility that any single majority will be able to control all centers of governmental power."
The federal system does meet the needs of Americans today. Having state and national govts balances things out. If we didn't have state govts how would each individual state get a word in edgewise when policymaking came into the picture? If it was the other way around when having no natl govts then how could we all agree on something when every state wanted their own rules? There needs to be a balance and the federal system is just that.
I believe that the natl govt has the right amount of power.
I agree with w_payne. We've used this system in the past, we're using it now in the present, it should be fine in the future.
I also agree with Louis R. A strong central govt is needed but along with state govts that have certain powers. As mentioned before, there should be a division in powers.
In my opinion, federalism does meet the needs of Americans. In fact, federalism works in the United States. America has been change and still moving on as time pass by. The division of powers between the national and state government gave a huge impact for the change in the United States. These ends conflict of have a weak state government and a strong central government that resulted to tyranny.
The national government has sufficient amount of power in the United States. In the other hand, the state government also shares power with the nation from this type of government. The state and nation “control of its own sphere” that avoided the lack and abusive power between the two. As time go by, it not divided between both but with “cities, counties, towns, school districts, special districts, and additional government entities” that have the same power as the nation and the state.
Federalism made a “rapid growth of an industrial economy the surpassed European competitors,” in which United States rise above others. Generally, federalism raises orderliness of the United States government without conflicts and crisis.
Chelsea b. - I don't understand how giving a state more power is like leaving a child at home. As mentioned in the essay, states have been actively updating and replacing their constitutions to fit the needs of their populous. It seems that they know what they are doing, and i don't see why state government would be any less responsible than a national government.
Nicholas, N. Weiser- I agree fully with your points on the Patriot act and gay marriage. Perfect examples that some decisions need to be left to the states, and that the executive/national government has exceeded too far in power.
I think that Federalism meets the needs of Americans today.
Our whole military system is based off of federalism. Because of this whatever people think and want is heard, so military does not do whatever it wants.
Also it meets the needs of Americans today because of rules it makes. It is smart that the drinking age has been raised from 18 to 21. If it did not get raised there would be a lot more accidents today, not saying that there isn't, but many of them are prevented because of this.
The National Government has the right amount of power because it can't really do what it feels like without the consult of people, and also people can't do whatever they want without consulting the Gov.
omg im so late on this so here it goes
ok so i guess the federal system for the most part works well for america. we have one of the best goerments in the world. No one can deny that. You always cant deny the flaws that our government has either. For the most part seperations of powers work. No one branch can have too much power. Our government is made up of a whole bunch of people. And give a person to much power it goes to their head. Thats why seperation of power works for our government. But i think america needs a change. The once strongest nation in the world is slowly coming the weakist. I think we need a change. Just a slight change.
in response to Will Fang
i agree with the whole china statement. like he said our government has its flaws. But thinking about the China issue Americans cant afford to have another country more powerful than us. Like the jungle only the strongest survive
xoxo
diamond
commenting off of Louis
i total agree with you america is way to diverse and we do need a government to cater to the many different diverse needs of america. But if our government could do that how cool would that be. There is no perfect world so a government like that is just a dream sadly to say.
xoxo
Diamond
In Response to Amber:
While there are undeniable some changes that need to be made, that does not mean that our federal system isn't working. Our government may need to rethink some of it's policies but overall, our foundation is still as strong as it was when it began. We are not at our best economic state right now but we're better off than most other countries.
In Response to Kelly:
Domestic purposed should be paid for by the states. At least in part. The federal government needs to focus part of their budget on foreign relations, the states don't have to deal with other countries, so they should be required to pitch in for helping our country. It is fair. :)
Nicholas Weiser- I find no place in your argument to disagree on. I completely agree. The interpatation of federaliam may have changed over the years, but it still works to accomodate the people. The seperation of powers keeps the country keeps the country slightly more comfortable with the government compared to if we did not have that seperation. Also I agree that some issues should be left up to state legislatures including gay marriage and abortion. Nick said "federalism is cool." I say dido.
I believe that a federal system does meet the needs of Americans today regardless of the minor issues that it has caused in some cases.
Because America is such a large country, it is important to have balanced powers. Early federalism was created so that there will be a dual sovereignty. The creators feared for a single dictator, like the former Great Britain, thus allowing sovereignty to divide between state and nation.
Although early federalism resulted in war, the basic principle is still important for today's America. Modern Federalism allows each level of government to have "its own independently elected political leaders and its own separate taxing and spending capacity." given these separated powers, it prevents the national government to have too much power.
Our government today, has just the right amount of power because it allows individual states to govern its own without being able to revolt against the whole nation.
second response e. Calva- Though your paragraph is short i agree with it so far. I like the quote you included, "If no government exists to put malefactors in jail, everyone must become a criminal simply to avoid being a victim." Yes the federal government has just enough power to put people in jail that should, or deserve to be there. You didnt say anything about the national government so i cant argue anything there. I like what you said just wished there was more.
I agree with Amber that our government has quite a lot of improvements to do since there are many issues we as citizens face today. However, this does not mean that our federal system is a failure, it just means that a perfect government doesn't exist and may have its flaws. What will work is how the government takes its action to improve the lives of Americans.
In response to Chelsea, i agree that our military is a key to the protection and control for our country. Without the federal system, we would'nt have created the federal system which has spurred us into the great country we are today.
i don't think the federal system meets the power because somehow we still have financial problems. I think govt have little power because even though the book talks about dual sovereignty and splitting up powers we still can't do anything about our economic today.
i believe that federalism does meet the needs for the United States today. I think the the govermant may at times have to much power. They can sometimes make decisions without consulting the people but, for the most part they have just the right amount to keep evrything running smoothly.
Response to Denise:
I completely concur with her statement that with such a big country, we need to establish some kind of precedent so that the national government doesnt get out of hand. The government needs change to adapt to current circumstances
Response to ryman:
I disagree with your statement about national government required to have more power. Think about what national laws are being passed right now. All of congress is made up of state power! Civil War was not about giving state government too much power, it resulted when national government gave state government too less of power to follow their culture.
without even textual support ill tell you straight up and all will agree Government have too much and wants too much.
there =]
In Response to William Fang
“No government is pristine and perfect therefore, changes must be made.” William I agree with this statement that you made. I believe if something doesn’t work we as a country need to try to fix the “flaws” or problems to make the government better for the common good of everyone. I also agree with you on the Bailout bill it is an incredibly heavy price that America tax payers are going to have to pay
In Response to Suzy T
I completely agree with what you are saying. The government has acquired more power than they should and the common people of America are the ones it hurts.
I disagree with that one chick who said military is our key to control for our country. military is just a game of chess in war where soldiers are pawns and general and liut. etc.
But the protection yeah, of course why are they not? But for "control our country?"
I may have misunderstood that statement that one chick may have said, but this floats my boat.
I completely agree with Ryman. The state governments should have some power to cater to the diverse needs of their constituents, but the national government should be stronger to keep the interests of the nation above those of the states.
I don’t however agree with Will Fang. The national governments should have more power. The nation should be placed above the states, because when push comes to shove, it’s every man for himself, whether at the individual level or at the state level. Like everyone, a state given too much power will always push for its interests (like slavery and the Southern way of life back in the early 1800’s) even though it will conflict with that of the nation or everyone else. What we’ll have is another civil war. If the national government was stronger than the states, something like that wouldn’t happen.
Also, I don’t think the current financial turmoil was caused by the system of government. The mess we’re in right now was more likely caused by laws that weren’t well thought-out, lack of regulation (meaning we need an even stronger government), apparently selfish/corrupt CEOs (not really sure how they fit in, but I keep hearing of them on the news), and unforeseen events (like the surge in oil prices due to speculation, and various natural disasters that have made prices go up which made people unable to pay their loans which caused all this).
And as for the Great Depression…that actually happened because there was no government regulating things. People bought stock like nuts even though it was valued way more than it was actually worth (I think the government has the SCC watching that stuff now) and also no government to soften the crash; there was no bailout to save the failing banks and no FDIC to prevent people from losing all their money in the banks. The expansion of the government in the New Deal was in fact what relieved the nation of its pains (can’t really say saved, WWII did that).
So a strong national government is clearly needed…it can prevent individuals, corporations, states and maybe even the whole nation from running amuck.
~Louis Rotea
I like what America is based on with freedom and rights and such.
But not the history. In response, dont forget how it all started, Columbus tearin up the natives since 1492
In response to Will: You said, “In order to ensure economic disasters does not result again, more finance and power should rest in the states to equalize the power like the bicameral system.” and that the “Civil War was not about giving state government too much power, it resulted when national government gave state government too less of power to follow their culture.” The Civil War occurred because Southerners believed they should have more control over their own legislature while the federal government wanted to strengthen themselves. Southerners wanted to keep slaves; if they lost slaves, their plantations and other economic interests would be hindered. So, they seceded. If states and the national government have equal power, the states may try to gain more and more advantages for their own interests. With so many different interests among states, it won’t be long until there are great feuds with no strong central government to arbitrate, only a federal government that has the same amount of power as do states.
In response to Louis: “A strong central government is needed to run the nation as a whole, but there must still be some powers reserved to the state and local governments to serve the different needs of the people.” I definitely agree. Not only does federalism allow strong interests as a whole by implementing a strong and central government, but state governments have the opportunity to cater to the individual needs of each state.
Some one shoot me arghhh i 4gottttt noooooooo im so not on top of this thing anymore
anyways federalism im an idiot i was reading the whole chapter not knowing what federalism literally means :(
anyways i agree to all the people that says our government has just the right amount of power because the state should not have more power that the national government because then they will seem to have no power and then how states will not be working out. Well somthing seems to be working because this system has been going for over 200 years so the fedralism seem to fit for Americans but not for me :D (becuase I dont like how America rolls) Anyways it is good both ways when modern fedralism gives power to state school district cities towns special districts but these commuinties and states shall not have more power than the big one aka national government. Giving each some power can seperate tax and alot of other benifits so I see the Americans seems to like the way how fedralism is spread.
I agree to when william said no government is pristine and perfect so it need to be changed because no government is perfect so it need to be near perfect.
I agree to ryan when he says seperating the powers to national and state government becuase America is a large country and one government cannot control all and all resource can not be dealt in same way.
Mr west have some sympathy for me ill be ure best student *cough cough*
excuses my internet was crapped up so i could not write the blog *cough cough*
so yeah thats why im late with a really lame excuse :(
oh geez sorry West.
The federal system fits American because America made our beliefs as one, as a nation. Its more together.. its not a part because we elect our leaders by states choosing who we all want to be as our leader.
I think our government has a little too much power. Because of what we are in right now.. Raising and lowering our gas prices, taking our money from our taxes, and everything cause them as a government want more money.. making our econmcy worse..
I agree with Amber when she said that our government has quite a lot of improvements to do since there are many issues we as citizens face today and then how denise said this does not mean that our federal system is a failure, it just means that a perfect government doesn't exist and may have its flaws. this goes back to no one is perfect so america needs to be tighten up a little to make the pple more happy not saying that the fedralism is not working it is working well but the Americas would always want the fedralism to work out better :)
k before i begin.
west i am SO sorry this is late, friday i was with you all day then band so you understand.
and Yesterday, well we won and you were there so you most definatly understand as to what happen this weekend, mr cool announcer :]
mmk, time to speak my peace.
i think the federal system is doing fantasic.
(haha)
but in all seriousness i really think it works out rather nicely, i think to have a government over the nation as a whole, and to also have state governments was an amazing idea. The thing is, state governments, hits special needs, it also makes sure the state it being looked over carefully.
A nation government, makes us feel like a whole and also comes to desicions with all states in mind, i think to just have a nation government would be a huge mistake. Because as i do think our government is one to envy, they cant watch all 50 states everyday all day, and come every time someone needs a hand.
I personally think the way the power in our country is distributed is even, and fair. I think if our country wasnt doing a good job we wouldnt be looked at as we are, we are a becon of hope for people in this world and it comes down to how our country is run. I mean we are in Iraq right now, a country who isnt all the faund of us, and we are building a government that mimics ours. So something we are going must be right..right?
I think federalism is good as well, just dont go overboard. So answering your question west? yes, it meets our needs, and it is coming off in a positive light.
k in response to erica.
you made it sound like our government chooses our tax prices and chooses everything.
and that just confused me like no tommorrow.
i mean they arent pursposely saying...haha stock market you are screwed!
yeahh events they do lead to it, but i refuse to believe no matter who is in office they dont have America's best interests in mind.
k second response.
i totally agree with bridgette, which is hard for me to do cause im one who loves to agrue but i really liked when she said
While this separation is crucial, it is also important that the national government remain the most significant.
it really summerizes the truth, i mean a national government needs to stay on top its our nation *key word*
we need to all stick together or we will fall apart and break into tiny countries, then get bought up by England and no one wants that...lol
in response to denise
i agree that the federalists have balanced powers but their balanced only in the federal government, so other maybe smaller governments are left to not as equal of powers.
i hope that made sense.
a response to will's 1st comment...so u never really state whether america's needs are meet by the federal system? I do agree with the part when you said there are flaws and no system is perfect....which is true and as a nation we take flaws and learn from then to improve upon our sytem:]
Sorry I'm late...I kinda forgot we had a blog this week...sorry West :]
Anyway...
I think that a federal system does meet the needs of Americans today. One of America's biggest concerns, back in 1776 and now, is that the government will gain too much power. "The Federalist argued that the best way of preserving liberty was to divide power." In today's federal system, that is the way it is. There are three branches who all have different powers, yet it is balanced out. And although the federal government does hold certain power over the states, the states themselves also have a lot of power. And guess what...Americans are living pretty good lives. This system has been in place for so long, mostly because it works.
With that being said, I don't think the national government has too much power. Because we have the three branches and checks and balances, I don't really think the national government would ever be able to gain too much power, because there are so many ways of preventing it. The founders wrote the Constitution so that something like could never happen. And I think if our government were to start trying to gain too much power, then the current system would probably be changed to prevent it.
I completely agree with ryman as you could probably guess with what was written in my first post but yes, I believe that everything that works with our government is completely in thanks to our national government having more power than our states.
In respose to kelly:
you said "Almost half of the all government spending for domestic purposes is paid for by state governments, which is not fair."
I think it is totally fair states are part of the domestic purposes after all.... so why shouldnt they pay for it? (not trying to create conflict kelly :] just responding to something)
I beleive that the CONTEMPORARY government Pual Peterson speaks of meets the needs of Americans today. As Peterson said,"Modern federalism no longer meant dual sovereignty and shareed military compacity. Modern federalism instead meant only that each level of government had its own independent elected political leaders and its own seperate taxing and spending capacity." No longer does it mean that states can nullify laws and raise their own militia.
Yes, the national government is much stonger than it was antebellum, but I believe for the better. I do not think of America as a bunch of states huddled together under one flag, I think of America and one nation, with many subcatagories. So I think it makes sense that most he power be on the national level and I do not think the national government is too strong. There are even some decisions still left up to states that I believe should be left up to the national government. I believe America should be uniform. I don't like the idea that the drinking age is left of the the states and that the only reason it is universal in because of a requirement for a federal grant. I would be dumb if one states drinking are was 18 and the other 21. I also don't like that the driving laws are different. In the state of Nevada you may not drive with anyone under the are of 18 who is not an immediate family member for the first 6 months after your recieve your license. In California you may not drive with ANYONE under the age of 20 unless you are accompanied and supervised by a licensed parent, guardian or other licensed driver 25 years of age or older for the first twelve months. Let's say I didn't know this law and this summer when I visit my UC (I hope) I could technically get a ticket for driving with my little sister. The idea that many laws like this are not uniform through out the states is confusing.
note from me: i'm not even going to come with an excuse why i'm late for this...all comes down to pure lazy-ness [though ive been super busy with band for the last two days.] well heres my entry: [its better late than never right?]
oh and another random comment...is advantages purposely spelt wrong in the intro thing in the book?
------
I’ll agree with most of everyone else, our government has just the right amount of power. So far it seems that Federalism does meet today’s standards of government for the U.S., because the powers are equally divided between each branch and each state, which is what the basic definition of federalism is, right? However, in the article, it states that the balance is hard to keep because each section doesn’t realize how much or how little power they have, thus causing them to have arguments over it. (sorry couldn’t find the support for it, but I know it’s in the article.) But in today’s society, I haven’t seen any arguments about one section having “too much power” or fighting with another section of “who has what power.” Therefore I think federalism does fit with today’s society, along with it having just the right amount of power.
I like l.rotea's mention of the FDIC as an example of the good the srong national government has done. THe FDIC is a great thing meant to protect people's money and to prevent another great depression and there is no way that the individual states could afford to do somehting like that.
This also reminds me of the fact that the anti-federalists were agianst a national bank, but it we followed the anti-federalists ideas and were agianst a national bank would the government have been able to by and save the collapse of WaMu?
All I can say is Beverly took the words outta my mouth and made them coherent. I agree with her 100%ly.
In The Price of Federalism, I was attracted to the disadvantages of our federal system because it made me realize that it does not meet the needs of Americans today due to the fact that we still have heated debates and controversial views about the system. BUT I do think that the system has grown to fit our society and it does meet the needs of America in some aspects. But I will try to convince you on how this system is absolutely a-okay. Though the article drew me into the aspects of the negative side such as the "price" Amber was talking about, I couldn't help but think on how our federal system has prevailed through the rest. Yes, our national government has expanded its powers and meddled in issues like K. Reel pointed out but maybe they had to step it up to help our nation to strive. It is like William said, our nation is too diverse and large to have all the powers to the states because it will cause neverending conflicts due to different views. Therefore, our nation's federal system has to step it up because we need a strong central government before the power can be passed onto the states. So I view that our national government might have more power than the states but I think that a strong core can be the foundation to stronger state government to a stronger nation. But that is just me.
AND SARO OUT
Sorry it is late, I badddd.
Response to Amber Kane:
I disagree that today's government does not work for our society. Amber brought up the financial crisis that we are currently in, but that is only one issue. Yes it is a big issue right now, but that has just happened in the last couple of years and it is only one issue that the government has had. Not that the government hasn't had other issues, but that was one that she used.
My comment to Beverly and Brittany.
I CONCUR! Especially when Brittany told about her view on America. That is how I see America too and it makes perfect sense that our national government has more power.
response to brittany:
i agree with what she says, cotemporary federalism fits more with todays society than the generalized federalism. and i also agree with her that the laws such as drinking age and driving age and other similar laws [i'm assuming any law that mainly applies to minors and citizens around the minor age] should be kept universal over the states so it wouldnt be legal in one state, and illegal in another.
response to bridgette: i agree with bridgette one because her blog is pretty much what i was trying to say in mine. but thats not why i completly agree with her. i agree with her that its better that each state has its own laws and regulations "to fit its own needs," thus also balancing even more between state and national government. i like how she states that its better to have national government have slightly more power than every other government because it can regulate and overpower the other governments if it sees that it is needed.
Go D.Lee and W.Fang!
SEEEEEEE (Bombino style!) Our nation is supaHUGE. So the separation of power works! Thus our federal system does work even though the issues that it may face. Our nation needs the separation of power to prevent tyranny of the majority but it needs a strong core to distribute that power.
Federalism is the best option because it has the right amount of severity as well as flexibility. States are given certain exclusive rights, while the national government has more power overall. This allows the nation to be a whole. And in order to be a strong whole, the nation's constituents (its states) must also be strong. Therefore, the states having exclusive rights is crucial to a strong nation. However, a centralized government is also crucial to strong nation of unified states. If sovereignty were not "concentrated in the hands of the national government," then the individual interests of each state would deter the growth of the nation, and in turn, deter the growth of the states themselves.
How were SATs everyone?
KEKEKE <3
@ Ryan Edwaaaaaaaaaards
I totally agree. Giving states too much power would be recreating the problem that the Articles had. When people are broken into smaller groups, they are more likely to seek their own needs/wants than if they were part of a larger nation.
@ Share-A-Chin:
In my humble opinion, the SAT is $&#*$$#@($&@!#@!(#.
:D
I agree with Sarochin. Our nation is indeed, supa H U G E.
In response to Louis Rotea: I totally agree with your stance on the great depression and its causes, and that is why while i generally favor less government intervention, i must say that i have to support stronger government intervention in certain cases, such as our economy, because when left to man, man will sink back to his natural brutish state and allow all those around him to perish so as to allow himself to continue thriving. Currently, that seems also to be the reason that our economy isn't so hot.
In response to JCrolli: Congrats on the band doing well, you silly drum major you. But anyway, perhaps you haven't heard of this electronic monitoring bill that the executive/secret big brother groups are allowed to check you out without your knowledge of it. Given that nifty piece of information, i hope you revise your statement that the branches are evenly power distributed.
#1 In response to Louis:
I think you're right when you said that we need a strong central government and that most of the power should rest in the nation because if the national government doesn't have the power to control the states then there would be war all over again because the states would want to do what's best only for them. but i also think that it's good for the states to have some power so that they can make their own choices and take their own decisions.
#2 In response to Jessica Ogburn:
i think federalism is just right for the united states, like you said there might be conflicts between the nation and the state on who has more power but it's not like it was before, like during the civil war. i think the states are happy with the power they have, they are only responsible for their state's stability while the nation has a harder job in keeping the country running . so i guess the states kind of understand that the nation needs more power.
Sorry this is late but ive been super busy with band for the last two days, that and im just really lazy today
Anyway, I agree with what most people are saying when that they say it has the rigtt amount of power. So far it seems that Federalism does meet today’s standards of government for the U.S., because the powers are equally divided between each branch and each state, which is what the basic definition of federalism is, right? Although the article says that the three powers fight becase of "power" in the us today i haven't seen anthing like that so yeah I think that government has the right amount of power.
~Christl Leavitt
Response #1
I completly agree with Jessica Ogburn, beside the fact that we basicly said the same thing.
Response #2
I also agree with Ryan when he says that the nation needs a strong national government rather that giving too much power to the states, because the US is a large nation. and if you give to much power to the states then the nation would most likely be in chaos
~Christl Leavitt
I do not believe that the federal system meets the needs of Americans today, because there are many "inefficiencies in the administration of government programs." (take a look at the tax breaks the 700 B bailout is giving) But, I do not think there will ever be a government capable of meeting the needs of all its citizens. The type of federalism we have today is one where sovereignty and military capacity lie with the national government while election of political leaders and taxing authority lie with each "level of government." Although this allows the national government much power, it at least ensures that each level of government can raise money on its own. And, since "half of all government spending...is paid for out of taxes raised by state and local governments," the national government is not given complete power. If the national government is given more power, it will become similar to a Hobbes-like rule by a single sovereign. With this concentrated power, individual liberty could easily be violated by "tyranny of the majority."
Louis R. has a great point when he said: If states are given power...close to equal that of the central government, then the interests of the states...will be of greater importance than those of the nation as a whole...
This is a great reason why dual sovereignty has been put to rest. Although it helped preserve individual liberty, it challenged unity, which led to the Civil War. As a result, the national government was given more power than state governments.
Ryan M. said that: This country is just too diverse for one branch of government to handle.
This is great support for the reason why citizens elect officials for each level of government. Also, by allowing these levels to raise money by taxing the citizens who live in the area that level of government is responsible for, it allows the level of government to tax according to the area's characteristics.
In response to s.han:
i agree with you."Having state and national govts balances things out."
and if we only had one, the state would be going through a lot of probelms.
so its better to have both than just one.
In response to j.velasco:
i agree with you when you said that the state government also shares power with
the nation from this type of government.Basically both nation and state are some what
having the same power and there's not many conflicts going on between them.
Well from what i know.
in response to ryman:
i disagree with you because i think that national government has more then enough power. They set down so many rules whenever they feel like it so to me that seems like a lot power
In response to Will Fang
i agree with Fang because as he says "No government is pristine and perfect, therefore, changes must be made." Changes need to be made soon so the economy can get better and even in 100 years if we believe our government has evolved to be perfect, it will still have flaws.
i belive the federal system meets the needs of americans today.One may say that our government is not perfect but it sure has kept the country pretty much in line. and that is because the power is spread out pretty evenly. i believe that at times the government has too much power but overall it is about right.
Well as of right now I think that are national government has about the right amount of power. I don’t think federalism can be overdone as it is a government with different branches in order to keep balance of powers. Although, it’s better that the national government has more power than the individual states since it is to benefit our whole country rather than the individual.
in response to arasantos:
i agree with araceli.
i agree that with the division of the national govt. and the state govt. everyone can have "control of their own sphere" and as for now their hasn't been a big issue on someone having too much power.
I totally agree with ryman and i think you read it pretty well not just a skim through. I really liked your opinion it makes since.
in response to nicholas:
i agree that some decisions should not be left to the national government. in some situations its best for the state.
as nicholas said about the gay marriage and abortion.
Response to arasantos:
I agree that by dividing the national and state government, the division of power gives concentration in each level of government about their issues and concerns as the head.
Response to renee:
I totally agree that it is better to have the national government. It keeps the people together, which is true. Without the national government, the state cant handle the order within the nation. The state is the sub division of the head which is the national government.
In response to W. Fang:
Did I ever say that the government needs more power? No, I didn't. I was giving examples of times when federalism is overdone. I also said that there are some state issues that need to be national issues and vice versa. For example, carbon emissions needs to be a national issue. Global warming needs to be delt with nationally in order to be effective. As for national issues? I believe that issues such as gay marriage and abortion should be left up to the states. Some states will have a higher gay population than others so the issue will be more important.
As for the Civil War: Slavery was a national issue for a while but the government treated it as a state issue. This went on for so long that by the time the government realized that this was a national issue, the South had already become so dependent, passionate, and partisan about it that conflict was inevitable. The whole thing possibly (note: I said possibly, not definitely) could have been avoided if it was taken care of before the situation reached this point. As for the government being too powerful to interfere with there culture? NO CULTURE SHOULD EVER EXIST THAT INVOLVES ENSLAVING OTHERS. ESPECIALLY IF IT IS IN A "FREE" COUNTRY!!!
And I want to clear up one more thing: saying that the national government needs more power than the states doesn't mean that the government needs more power than it has now. I also don't think that the government needs less power. I think that that national power needs to be ADJUSTED, meaning that THERE ARE SOME STATE ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE NATIONAL ISSUES AND VICE VERSA. No, I don't think that we should be a confederation and no, I don't think we should be a dictatorship. The reality of the situation is way too complicated to simplify down to whether or not the government should have more power or less power.
Okay...I have no idea what happened. I don't have an excuse and I'm not gonna lie...I just totally blanked out on this assignment. I don't know if there will be any credit accepted on my....extremely late post...but there is no harm in trying I guess.
I agree that Federalism is a very effective form of government. There is just the right amount of power distributed between the seperate branches, so no one can complain. Well they can, but nothing is going to be changed unless over 25 of the 50 states think that the form is outdated... But anyway. This form of government has been very sufficient in supplying the citizens' demands and needs of life over the 200 years it's been practiced and I believe that it is still very well suited for our style of life in the 21st century. But of course it didn't come cheap. To get to the point we are today, many people fought against eachother in arguements of how America should be run, and as a result, many people died in the wars spurred by these debates. My book has run away from me and hidden in something because I can't find it at the moment, so I can't give a direct quote, but I can tell you where it is. The first page, and I believe it's the 1st and second paragraph where it lists the prices our ancestors had to pay to establish this government, and I believe that it was very well worth it.
To comment on ryman:
You made very good points of where federalism has in some instances failed and has caused extreme problems to surface that couldn't be solved by really any of the branches because the power seemed to be in the wrong hands when something needed to be done. But I still agree that federalism is still the best form of government.
In responce to Will fang:
I strongly agree with your statement. The Bail Out bill that was passed is how the nation decided to deal with our increasing debt, which I think is a step forward, even if it increases our debt as a nation pretty significantly. I guess that would be a flaw in the federal system since the states can't make their own currency or attempt their own bail out systems even if they can pass their own laws. I know this is a little off topic, but I read an article on how a state (I think Kentucky) is trying or has already passed a law that taxes fat people to make up for some of the money loss dealing with medical care. Since obese people have many more health problems, they go to hospitals more often, and if they have insurance, they don't pay much in the end, and the doctors end up not getting paid the money insurance was supposed to pay because they're in debt and blah blah this vicious circle. Anyway complete tangent.
so bridgette
I agree with what you said about the seperation being necesarry and evrything. I mean we totally don't want one person with all the power yo. And you're right the national government needs to be on top bcuz we can't let the states have the power see how that turned out last time they tried it?..
Nicholas Weiser- I super duper totally agree with you!! Federalism's meaning has changed over the years but it still works to help the people. The government doesn't always make the best decisions but hey they must be doing something right.
I also agree that the individual state legislatures should have the decision on some issues that have to do with their individual state (but i don't agree with gay marriage and abortion i think they're wrong).
I think the federal system does meet the needs of Americans today, but I think the government has too much power.
I always believe America is a country of freedom and liberty, but having too much power on everything, makes me feel not so “free.”
The federal system provides us public schools, parks, railroads, safety, but sometimes too over controlling.
Having a federal system is not bad, but sometimes a country with too control is not good.
I agree with brigette’s point of view on separating the powers into state and national governments.
Even through we separate the power, this does not mean government not equal, but it not only benefits our people, states and central government.
I don’t really agree with a_scharosch’s point of view that government has the just right amount of power, over 200 years we have been having powers with this balancing of power problem, still today. But I do agree that government should pass taxes and enforce laws.
On Federalism my views may vary at times. Majority of my views are just towards our national government needing to balance its powers more or less then the state governments within the national one.
In the Power that gets thrown around throughout our government I feel that it does fit our Modern American Society, but still have kinks in it as well. Where our National Government coincides with our local/state governments: as they can stand at point A with Tax Issues, Million Dollar Corporations, and then just drop to Point B with School districts, and local elections versus Presidental Elections...
I feel like our government balances out and is ver stable in which it has been through hell and still is fightin through... and also suits our American Government and Economics.
Certainly it is easy to see that the government tries to meet the needs of Americans today.
By trying to meet the needs of the American citizen today of course I mean socialism, haha.
As I know since I'm after the 100th post mine won't be read much, but still, I'll speak my mind.
Federalism is a touchy subject. Within the Article it talks about how there were "ambiguities" within the constitution that allowed for open interpretation.
Over the years these ambiguities have expanded the power of the government by quite literally orders of magnitude, and it seems the only things the government can't do now a days is only the things that are specifically outlined in the constitution.
It's ridiculous how much power the national government has gained, and the mere fact that every last person can be individually governed by our federal government is simple redonkulous.
The bi level system I completely and fully agree with, but it has been beaten into the ground by the national government that now controls just about everything besides marriage and abortion.
The federal government should have for real stuck to what they were intended to, the governing of the states and the regulations between them, not within.
So I IMPLORE you to see that this strong centralized government is encroaching on your constitutionally protected state sovereignty, and to see that the true bi level government is meant to be best for the people, not for the controlling national government.
I think that federalism works great for today’s America. The system keeps everything together and yet it is able to have different state governments that work to satisfy the needs of the people in that area. Having a single sovereignty “can be used to crush individual liberty” while dividing the government, it helps in “preserving [our] liberty." As years have shown, it has done just that. As a country, we always need to improve but our system is pretty decent as it is. People’s voices are heard and their rights protected and much more.
I comment on Alex, I agree with your point of view on America and federalism, just not the part about it being like the military. I would not want my country to be military based. It makes me think of countries like North Korea. Federalism is more diplomatic and things can be challenged and people can be put in check and if necessary balanced. While in the military a person does what they are told.
Commenting on Ambers: I would have to disagree. Yes, all those problems are big issues but I don’t think it’s because of federalism. All these problems happen to all the countries and don’t forget that the US is a young country compared to England and France. The glitches still need to be improved and they will, especially with our form of government. =]
the author has pretty much a non bias opinion that Federalism is a good concept as long as it is managed and followed with out corruption.
I think federalism in our country is great and i believe the government has a good amount of power and limits, (checks and balances). Yet the problem is not the government structure but the biggest problem is the corruption of the people in power. If a great person comes into power then im sure everyone will be fine with the government having power because they know that power is going to be used for the best of our country, yet if a corrupt politician runs our country then the power of the government should be lessened . Over all i think is has enough and needed power
I think that federalism has the right amount of power because its separated into many divisions although it may not meet some people’s expectations. In my point of view it does meet expectations because it’s been around for awhile. “Power was no longer divided between the nation and its states.” Now it’s set up with cities, towns, and even school districts that act like mini governments so the nation and the state governments won’t have absolute power for their own selfish benefits.
I agree with K. Reel because even when leaving a child home they tend meet their own needs. Like state governments look out for their well being even when the national government might not deem it important.
I agree with j. kofford that the government at one point had too much power. But now they have improved their ways. Also they help everyone to stay stabilized and vice-versa.
We learned in our history class and our govenment class recently that federalism obviously worked in the beginning of United States. The early US definitely needed distinct national and state governments to "control each other"and be "controlled by itself." This way, as the federalists believed, tyranny of the majority can be avoided.
Government strongly dominated by independent states did not work, as shown by the Articles of Confederation.
In order to create a stable yet flexible enough to meet each state's needs, the early US had to create federalist system and it has worked.
However, the question Mr. West is asking is whether it is meeting the needs of Americans today.
The modern United States is not anymore a new government. The whole idea of individual freedom and protection from tyranny of any kind that federalists tried so hard to let people know - is already engraved in the citizens of America as we all say "I'm proud to be an American; at least I know I'm free."
However, I believe federalism is still the best system for government today. Although I think that the national government has more power than before (I can't exactly come up with a hard evidence so my argument isn't strong) because I don't see states taking a lot of parts in making decisions than the national government, I still believe federalism is the best way to provide the freedom for individuals and create a well-balanced government.
Federalism has change throughout the course of American history.After the failures of the Articles of Confederation lead to the recreation of a new national document. Federalism has evolved from dual federalism to something much more than just dual.
Federalism after reading this got the right idea in how to run a large nation. In reality even in a small government federalism could too be successful if done correctly. Federalism separates the power between the central government and states. Base on previous events we could see that one strong central government often leads to absolute control to one group , which leads to tyranny.Although the Articles of Confederation allow separation of power the central government was too weak to do anything. Federalism allow the central government have more power over states but not too much to overpower the majority. As we could see base on history that dual federalism had its success but eventually lead to a downfall because of the differences.
In modern federalism power was not divided into two , but much more. Since modern US is so much bigger than the it use to be federalism has to expand. By spreading power among towns , city , states , government , branches , and congress led to a major distribution of power. People got the power to choose the leaders.So our modern federalism is the best suited for our position.
i would agree to majority of the ppl since as we could all see that more than 99% post the same arguement
i think Louis R made a great pt that Central government should have more power than states. If not it would just be similar to the Articles of C which gave states so much power that the central gov cant do anything for the benefit of the country.
I believe that our federal system has just the right amount of equality.
The point that Paul reaches is that even if American federalism is often vulgar, and while there is definitely a price to pay for our system, it is worth it.
response to: ryman
I completely agree with his when he said that the federalism is good as long as it is not over done. American has a great structure yet we cant push it out of balance with terrible people in charge
In response to : William
William points out that even though our country has lasted this long there are always room for improvement and he brings up the bailout plan and how changes must be made.
Yet i don't think that is a really good example. Yes we will always face problems but problems are not because of government power, its about corrupt people in the financial industry
Just let me say this. I think that our federal system is way way way better then most. And I do not disagree with what Paul is arguing. Our federal system meets our standers because the issue of nullification and the problems of dual sovreignty continued to be a problem to our nation as the issue of slavery became more problematic. (sooo..I guess a big problem? ) Through the loss of a million lives during the Civil War dual sovereignty was put away in favor of the modern system of federalism that is the basic principle and important for today's America. The fact is that the some decisions are to be left to the states. I don’t think the states are getting enough choice considering the 700 billion dollar plan was done too fast for my taste. Do we even get a say in whether they take that much money to bail out these companies? Do we get to vote on this matter? Not that I know of! Personally I think that the Plan was not a good idea and the states deserved a little say in this.
Vannessa Figueroa :]
I completely agree with Renee that
"Each state would seek out a life of governing that would benefit the selfish needs of themselves."
This is very important to me because if a state is out of control then that will cause other states to be disturbed and cause and imbalance of power. Kind of like this calafornia-cation thats going on around here...not that I mind stupid f-ing California drivers driving like idiots in front of me....lol...
oh! and not just the driving. I think California people pretty much made the vote for NEVADA to have no smoking in restaurants ...wtf??? My favorite restaurants pretty much closed all because of this....
I agree with Nick also….
Federalism is cool. :]
~Vannessa Figueroa
Federalism sufficiently meets America’s needs. If a government were to have absolute power over a nation, tyranny is bound to happen. By allowing state and local governments to have share of power and allowing them to control certain aspects, Americans feel a greater sense of freedom. It also provides less work for a national government that already has massive responsibilities. Each state has its own uniqueness; lifestyles in some are different in others, that’s what makes it a great nation. With each state being able to make their own laws, taxes, and such, they can meet the needs of that region. Petterson states that “state and local governments remain of great political significance.” Can you imagine how different life would be if these were to be abolished? Our system works fine now; therefore, our national government has just the right power.
I agree with ryman’s point of view on federalism. “There are different regions that have different resources, populations, and economies.” This is true and being broken up into smaller branches, we are able to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a state. The national government can then work on helping even out the nation and focus on the states that need most help.
Amber Kane has a good point on why federalism has its side-effects. Although her reason is true, one must also consider the benefits and advantages federalism gives. To me, these outweigh the negatives.
Federalism plays a major role in constituting America's equal balances in government. Although it may have its flaws, federalism is a highly respectable policy because of its ways to bring about a greater equality in Americans.
I know that Federalism may not be totally perfect, but if you ask me, I believe that such petitioners are being too critical. If you compare America's government to other world countries, it is without a doubt that America does constitute a more equalized government.
What we can not forget is the fact that America is a true living, MELTING POT. It is influenced by many countries of the world including, the ones we have "troubles" with, like China or even Mexico. That is why, despite Federalism's negative aspects, “sovereignty must be concentrated in the hands of the national government."
Only under one unified power can there be true liberty.
First off, thank you Mr. West for your amnesty!
It is important to look at where we were as a country prior to the constitution and where we are now. There is a reason why the U.S.A. is known as the world police and why our country has troops in various countries in attempt to adjust their government to match ours.
With the setup of our government now, it is near impossible for a dictator to arise and take control or for any part of the governmental system to take control. So when versed with the question of whether federalism works for America or not, it absolutely does.
Like Ryan said, federalism allows the separate states to receive the adjustments they need in order to match their person needs. A very valid point Ryan! Paul Peterson states that power is surrendered by the BUT it allows the people to elect who they want in power.
Federalism works. America is working. The power is equal and separated in all the right ways. And if there is something that needs to change or something amiss, there is still the option of amendment which wouldn’t be possible without federalism.
In response to Carina:
I highly agree with Carina's statement: "With this concentrated power, individual liberty could easily be violated by "tyranny of the majority."
I believe this is really true. One thing that constitutes a major downfall in America but which is not necessarily wrong in a sense, is the notion of majority rule. Because the majority constitutes the rights of citizens as a whole, it again emphasizes the fallacy that majority is always correct.
Although federalism may be a solution to how a government should be balanced, sometimes individual powers may have a better case.
West.. You should count this as my second comment. My other one was in my blog.
Here is the thing, I was glancing over the various blog inserts on this page and it seems like we are all in a general agreement that federalism works and the powers are balanced and if there is need for change, it is not now.
Yay for everyone who thinks federalism works!
I do not think that a current federal system meets the needs of Americans. It would never meet the needs of every people in America. Because there are too many people to satisfy with the current federalism. And it is there to "thwart the tyranny of majority" not to content part of people and discontent the other part of the people. The early federalism followed "dual sovereignty" which makes each national and state sovereignty control its own sphere. "Multiple sovereigns" caused "inevitable conflicts" since each group tries to expand its own power. The federalism today "had its own independently elected political leaders and its own separate taxing and spending capacity" for "each level of government." But the problem is that it's getting more complex when it supposed to be less complex. This leads to many ambiguities that may or may not be intended which offend people's freedom.
In response to William:
I truly agree with Will's notion that:
"The price to be paid for modern ferderalism did not become evident until government attempted to grapple with the adverse side effects of a burgeoning capitalist economy." In order to ensure economic disasters does not result again, more finance and power should rest in the states to equalize the power like the bicameral system.
This is really true. It is hard for many people to realize that many times, success is first proceeded by failures. For success to take place, usually there are a couple fallbacks. However what makes a government successful is how they cope with such failures in the end.
in response to alicia
i agree with everything she said, americans do feel a greater sense of freedom by being able to create their own laws, taxes and things of that nature, and it benefits the gov. by giving them less work to deal with.
Good point!
Austin has a good point too saying; "Yet the problem is not the government structure but the biggest problem is the corruption of the people in power."
Nice one
I think that the federalism of today does meet the needs of americans of today. Because there is seperation of powers and none of those powers have too much power.
In the article it said that "when there is no government, life becomes a war of all against all."
Maybe that is why we have govt. with a right amount of power. I believe that national govt. has just the right amount of power. With too much power, what is the use of checks and balances.
So for my view, i see that federalism has shaped our govt. of today for the good. By remembering the old federalism's downfall it will never happen again.
I really agree with ryman. How he sayed that america is really big. And that each country cannot be run the same way. The way he mentioned that each state may have conflicts to each other, which would probably start another civil war.
Ryman has so many great points to back up his argument, I totally agree with him.
I will have to agree with Jessica Plambeck.
When she stated that now our separation of powers is between cities and states. This is quite true, before I have read this article i have never knew of this. And yes I do believe that the view of federalism will be changed over time.
I love you west, dearly,
for your eyes, they make me dreary,
after you leave, i dont know what to do,
you make my life so smooth,
just like river pebbles,
you are definitely my boo,
you dont know how much it hurts,
to see you leave clark chargers turf,
after the four years you spent here,
your new job offer comes near,
and youll be a dean,
for green valley peers,
I dont like you west for doing this,
but i also love you like a father,
your the best, father,
and dont you ever forget it.
we'll all miss you,
so heres to you.
I'm just wondering: do we still have to do those current events?
btw it sucks that your leaving. You seem cool. Too bad I was only in your class for less than a year.
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