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Federalism. What Is Federalism?. It is a way of organizing a nation so-that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same- area and people. Most governments today are not federal but unitary governments in which all power resides in the central government.
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What Is Federalism? • It is a way of organizing a nation so-that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same- area and people. Most governments today are not federal but unitary governments in which all power resides in the central government.
Types of Government • 1. Federal • 2. State • 3. Local
Why federalism is important • The federal system decentralizes our politics by: • 1. Creating more possibilities for political participation. • 2. More points of access in government and more opportunities for interests to have their demands for public policies satisfied. • 3. With more decisions made in the states, there are fewer sources of conflict at the national level.
Federalism and Democracy • Did the founders make the right move in creating a federal system?
Advantages for Democracy: • 1. More opportunities for participation in politics. • 2. Increased access to government. • 3. Allows an economic interest concentrated in a state to exercise substantial influence in the election of officials, from that state. • 4. Diversity of opinion within the country can be reflected in different public policies in the states (i.e. Texans can vote for the death penalty, Wisconsin can abolish it). . • 5. Reduces decision-making and conflict at the national level.
Disadvantages for Democracy: • 1. States differ on resources they can devote to services such as education (i.e. CA - $4,608 per student vs. NJ -.$9,712. Stat Ab. of US, 1994). • 2. States with generous welfare benefits attract people from states with lower benefits. • 3. Local interests can thwart national majority support of certain policies (i.e. segregation in the South in the 1960's). • 4. Sheer number of governments (now counted at 86,743) can be as much a burden as a boon to democracy