“The Merits of the Federal System” Summary (Woll, pgs. 71-74)
Federalism is the idea of having multiple levels of government instead of just one primary level of central government. The United States follows this philosophy of government better than any other country in the world. The key concepts that surround federalism’s success is the fact that it sufficiently unites the commonwealth, allows for expansion, and prevents a centralized power from becoming overly aggressive and strong. Other attributes of federalism that contribute to its success is the fact that the power as a whole is compartmentalized like the hull of a large ship. If one compartment is compromised the ship as a whole remains intact and functional. It’s the same idea with federalism, if there is one bad state, the nation, as a whole remains intact and functional. Finally, federalism promotes the idea of local government that establishes the system of accountability for public officials to do their job correctly. This in turn creates a better society for all.
Federalism is the idea of having multiple levels of government instead of just one primary level of central government. The United States follows this philosophy of government better than any other country in the world. The key concepts that surround federalism’s success is the fact that it sufficiently unites the commonwealth, allows for expansion, and prevents a centralized power from becoming overly aggressive and strong. Other attributes of federalism that contribute to its success is the fact that the power as a whole is compartmentalized like the hull of a large ship. If one compartment is compromised the ship as a whole remains intact and functional. It’s the same idea with federalism, if there is one bad state, the nation, as a whole remains intact and functional. Finally, federalism promotes the idea of local government that establishes the system of accountability for public officials to do their job correctly. This in turn creates a better society for all.