Pros and Cons of a Federal System of Government Essay

Pros and Cons of a Federal System of Government - Essay Example attached the basic definition, a federal system of administration consist of two or more levels of governments brisk within an established territory governing through common structures/institutions with shared or overlapping powers ordained by a supreme constitution (Shafritz, Edwin and Christopher, 2010). The central government is at the level of the sovereign assert tasked with responsibilities of maintaining national security and conducting international diplomatic relations, covering the right of signing binding treaties. The central government is basically mandated to make binding laws for the whole federation the power that local governments do not posses. deep down its structure, the central government functions with ministries, departments alongside agencies in administering the federation. Federalism is thus a political as well as a philosophical concept that outlines how political power is divided or rath er distributed to different levels of governments. The finale of division of power between the levels of governance in a democratic nation may vary. However, the roughly vital powers relating to security and the stability of the entire union are granted to the center, with regional governments share-out footslogger responsibility. ... In particular, the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany and Brazil are all examples of federal governments. With regard to the United States, federalism has been an ever evolving family between state governments and the federal government. From a system of dual federal system, the American governance structures make believe evolved to that of associative federalism. In the Federalist No. 46, James Madison asserts that both levels of governments are perspicuous agents and trustees of the citizenry, constituted with distinct powers. According to Alexander Hamilton, (Federalist No. 28), both levels of government were constituted to exercise aut hority to the benefit of the citizens. That is to say, if in case the peoples rights were trampled upon by either of the two, they could make use of the other level of government as the promoter of redress (Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, 1961). As with all(prenominal) system of governance, federalism as a model of governance characterized by sharing of power is not perfect, neither is it any close to achieving perfect harmonious relations among its components. As a system corrected through the ages to achieve its current status in the United States, it is an obvious fact that federalism has its merits and the disadvantages. One of the prime benefits of a federal system is the degree of autonomy granted to regional governments in deciding their local laws, in spite of being a part of a whole. In the US, every state has the authority to modify local laws to fit the local demands. The system is also advantageous with jimmy to degree with which governance is simplified to achieve the d istribution of power. In effect, local problems are dealt with at the local level without letting them gravitate to the national level