How Effective is Federalism in the U.S. - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2137 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/02/15 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Federalism Essay Did you like this example? American federalism has evolved in many ways over the years. The common theme among the different types of federalism is balancing power between federal government and lower levels of government. There are those who shed light mainly on the disadvantages of federalism, but there are also those who choose to shift their focus to the advantages and ways that federalism can empower citizens. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How Effective is Federalism in the U.S." essay for you Create order Does competition among state and federal government really focus on the well-being of citizens? How do mobility and choice tie into federalism? Is there a pending resurgence of federalism in our nation? Federalism is a unique system of government. In America, there are various levels of government such as local, state and federal. The idea of federalism is that the divided authority will counter an all-powerful federal government. The Tenth Amendment is the basis for American federalism (Unknown author, https://definitions.uslegal.com/f/federalism/, unknown publish date). This Amendment addresses the relationship between state and federal government (Unknown author, https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/tenth_amendment, unknown publish date). To understand federalism, it’s important to know the history of the system, what inspired the idea to begin with, how it’s evolved, the ways it affects citizens, etc. Around the 1780’s most nations had unitary governments . A unitary government is a system in which the central government wields either most or all political authority. Americans specifically rebelled against the unitary government of Britain. Understandably, when forming the U.S., early Americans weren’t too keen on the idea of jumping right back into this type of system. Confederations were another popular system of government around this time. This type of government gives a majority of the power to states. One of the main issues with a confederation is weakened central authority. Delegates at the Constitutional Convention came up with a tentative solution. Enter: federalism. The U.S. first saw dual federaism from 1789-1933. In dual federalism, it’s very apparent which level of government has what authority. For this reason, dual federalism is also referred to as â€Å"layer cake† federalism. Defined â€Å"layers† of governmental responsibility, just like a layer cake. Next, cooperative federalism (1933-1981) was implemented. Cooperative federalism is also called â€Å"marble cake† federalism. The reason for thi s is that in this system, different government functions all seem sort of blended together. While a cake with flavors that intermingle is quite enjoyable, as a system of government, it can become confusing. Who’s authorized to do what? That’s a question cooperative federalism poses. From 1981-2009, the United States saw the rise of new federalism. New federalism emphasizes the importance of local and state governments. The lines of authority are even more swirled together with new federalism than with cooperative federalism. Introduced in 2009 and still in practice today, we have progressive federalism. Progressive federalism, of course, grants the federal government power to set certain ground rules for what states can do, but ultimately the idea is that states will have the bulk of the power (Unknown author, Types of Federalism, the Basis for American Government, https://www.dummies.com/education/politics-government/types-of-federalism-the-basis-for-american-government/, unknown publish date). A prime example of federalism is the movement to make the recreational use of marijuana legal. Marijuana is classified by the federal government as a controlled substance. Even though recreational use of marijuana is still federally prohibited, the Obama administration inspired a more laid-back attitude regarding marijuana. States are generally allowed to decide how they’d like to penalize (or not penalize) citizens if they’re found to be in possession of marijuana. Though, states still must meet specific requirements (like not allowing children to end up with marijuana in thei r possession) (G. Lopez, Marijuana Legalization, Explained, https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/identities/2018/8/20/17938372/marijuana-legalization-federal-prohibition-drug-scheduling-system, November 14, 2018). Competitive federalism is again, based on the Tenth Amendment. Its main concept is that states should be able to compete with one another on important policy issues. The idea is that if states are given the money and authority to do so, there’s more room for beneficial changes and breakthroughs (M. Mayer, Power to the States, https://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2018-05-31/right-and-left-should-come-together-on-competitive-federalism, May 31, 2018). One major argument made by those who support competitive federalism is that it liberates citizens. More specifically, supporters argue that competitive federalism gives constituents the ability to act as government consumers by finding which state best fits their specific needs and then moving there (O. Lipsett, the Failure of Federalism: Does Competitive Federalism Actually Protect Individual Rights?, Constitutional Journal of Law, March 2008). Choice and mobility are recurring themes throughout the multiple points of view on federalism overall. The new era known that brought about competitive federalism surfaced around 1978. At this time, state governments and federal government began engaging in competition with one another for citizens, support and resources. Around 1928 to 1978, the federal government had an apparent fiscal edge. This was known as the centralization period. Competitive federalism was a result of the loss of that advantage (J. Shannon, J.E. Kee, Public Budgeting Finance, Volume 9, Issue 4, December 1989). There’s a lot of questioning about whether or n ot competitive federalism is truly beneficial to citizens. For example, in United States v. Windsor, the issue was same-sex marriage. The Defense of Marriage Act (known hereafter as DOMA) was passed in 1996. DOMA allowed states to decide whether or not they’d recognize same-sex marriages. At the time DOMA was in effect, the federal government specifically defined â€Å"marriage† as a union between a male and a female. Because of this, many same-sex couples didn’t have access to some significant benefits heterosexual married couples did (joint tax filing, estate-tax exemption, etc.). The Court ultimately ruled that the states were permitted to choose whether or not to define marriage. Then, a woman who had been directly feeling the negative effects of DOMA took monumental action. Edith Windsor sued the federal government and succeeded. Her victory resulted in DOMA being repealed. It was determined that the federal government was not authorized to define marriage This is a significant example of competitive federalism because same-sex couples could move to states that wouldn’t deny them marital benefits. (Unknown author, 3.4 Competitive Federalism Today, https://cnx.org/contents/[emailprotected]:[emailprotected]/Competitive-Federalism-Today, unknown publish date) Federalism can be empowering to citizens. First, there are many states that are extremely focused on individual rights. Since states are given leeway to make decisions on policy issues, some citizens who may not feel their rights are protected in one state may feel differently in another. This is c losely related to citizen choice. Citizens are empowered because they’re given options to find a state that could meet unfulfilled needs. Citizens also can find themselves empowered through the emphasis on state government’s power. More Americans seem to trust state and local levels of government than in the national government. This is understandable, as these levels of government offer quicker and more efficient responses to constituents’ needs (Morone Kersh, By the People: Third Edition, 2016). Private ownership is the first of three private economic principles. It’s the responsibility of the government to determine who owns what, permit property owners to use their own judgement to determine the best use of their private property. The government must also protect private property. In nations that don’t have an organized, formal system for private ownership, there are lots of issues. If government isn’t establishing legal rules that determine who owns what, there’s not much they can do to protect the property (T. West, The Heritage Foundation’s First Principles Series, The Economic Principles of Americas Founders: Property Rights, Free Markets and Sound Money, No. 32, August 30, 2010). Market freedom is the next private economic principle. Everyone must be entitled to sell what they what, when they want and to who they want for a reasonable price that’s mutually agreed upon. There are some exceptions, of course. The role of the gove rnment in market freedom is to clarify contracts and ensure the terms are upheld ( (T. West, The Heritage Foundation’s First Principles Series, The Economic Principles of Americas Founders: Property Rights, Free Markets and Sound Money, No. 32, August 30, 2010). A command (or planned) economy is the opposite of a free market. Command economies place centralized power in the government to delegate how much of certain goods are produced and how they’re sold and used (L. Kramer, What’s the Difference Between a Market Economy and a Command Economy, https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/100314/whats-difference-between-market-economy-and-command-economy.asp, January 9, 2018). The last private economic principle is stable money. There needs to be a reliable way of measuring market value. A lack of reliable money can lead to unpredictable fluctuations in the prices of services and goods (T. West, The Heritage Foundation’s First Principles Series, The Economic Principles of Americas Founders: Property Rights, Free Markets and Sound Money, No. 32, August 30, 2010). Mobility and choice are key topics within federalism. There are those who are of the opinion that federalism offers citizens more choices. Those who are in this camp of thought argue that citizens can simply base their decisions on where to move according to which states offer which benefits, programs, resources, etc. However, there are also those who argue that people aren’t always able to easily utilize that mobility (Morone Kersh, By the People: Third Editon, 2016). Federalism relates to centralization and addresses same. The fiscal correlation between federalism and centralization is that in theory, lower levels of government are given more freedom to make decisions. Federalism also directly relates to policy centralization. Again, since federalism aims to balance power, there’s a drive to let states take more charge on policy matters (J. Rodden, Comparative Federalism and Decentralization: On Meaning and Measurement, Comparative Politics, Vol. 36, No. 4, July 2004). One advantage of federalism is protection against autocracy. This is arguably one of the most important advantages of a federalist system. With power divvied up between, there’s less of a chance of the nation falling under tyrannical rule. Checks and balances are important for this reason (R. Wiseman, Advanta ges Disadvantages of Federalism, https://bloomp.net/articles/benefits-of-federalism.htm, unknown publish date). Another advantage of federalism is that citizen participation is increased. As mentioned previously, citizens show more trust in local levels of government. Because the federal government isn’t given omnipotent authority, citizens are more inclined to participate in political activities (R. Wiseman, Advantages Disadvantages of Federalism, https://bloomp.net/articles/benefits-of-federalism.htm, unknown publish date). A third advantage of federalism is that state governments are far more responsive to the needs of the citizens. This is very closely tied in with increased citizen participation. This leads to better conflict management and a more efficient system (R. Wiseman, Advantages Disadvantages of Federalism, https://bloomp.net/articles/benefits-of-federalism.htm, unknown publish date). Now, of course, there are certain disadvantages of federalism. The first is that federalism makes it possible for there to be policy imbalances among the states. (R. Wiseman, Advantages Di sadvantages of Federalism, https://bloomp.net/articles/benefits-of-federalism.htm, unknown publish date). An example that comes to mind is the case of United States v. Windsor, which I discussed earlier in this paper. A second disadvantage of federalism is that it makes unanimity quite difficult. We are a nation of different political parties. When local officials are in charge of parties in a state, the politics can get particularly chaotic (Morone Kersh, By the People: Third Edition, 2016). Finally, as previously discussed when reviewing the history of federalism in America, it was made very obvious that blurred lines of authority can pose various issues. Overlapping governmental responsibilities can breed coordination issues (Morone Kersh, By the People: Third Edition, 2016). There are some factors that may be paving the way for a resurgence of federalism in America. Historically, America has had a national government smaller than other nations. During significant events such as the World Wars, the Great Depression and the Cold War, the size grew. However, with each increase in size, efforts have been consistent to reduce size again. Another factor is that Americans have displayed a tremendous amount of civic voluntarism since the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This means citizens are getting involved in public life of their own volition. This voluntary spirit leads to political innovations and positive changes in policies across the nation. Finally, checks and balances, ensuring that public officials cannot act unilaterally, could has and will continue to lead to great strides for our nation (Morone Kersh, By the People: Third Edition, 2016). Throughout the process of examining the positive and negative aspects of a federalist system, I do be lieve that it’s an effective system. Checks and balances, citizen involvement and responsive officials can all lead the way to improve upon this system and work toward empowering the nation’s citizens more than ever before.

Gender Inequality And The Civil Rights Act - 2099 Words

Introduction For many decades, the male gender has managed to uphold a role of dominance, leaving American women in a position of disadvantage in what should be an equally privileged setting. As a result, the issue continues to influence the existence of gender inequality, and with it being associated with the unequal pay rates, the issue remains to influence society still today. Prior to several women favoring laws, such as, the Women’s Rights Act, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, The Equal Pay Act, Civil Rights Act, etc., women have been obligated to overcome discriminating obstacles within society since the beginning. Although equality and discrimination have been a common struggle for women historically, moving forward, history has advanced and developed over time, informing society and providing them with access to resources. 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Empowerment of Girl Child free essay sample

Viewing education as the basic agent of change in the status of women, the National Policy on Education calls for the national education system to play a positive interventionist role in the empowerment of women. In its effort to create a closer link between education and the life of people, the NPE had envisaged a two-pronged strategy: First, the removal of disparities in access and the second the equalisation of opportunities through affirmative action programmes. These programmes would be specifically tailored to address the specific needs of those denied equality to date. India is already home to the largest number of illiterates in the world. Of the 263 million illiterate Indians, 197 million are women. The literacy rate differential is also reflected in all other human development indicators. Womens access to health care, adequate nutrition, sanitation facilities, clean drinking water is significantly less than mens access. Reflective of the low status of women is the most sensitive indicator of human development, the infant mortality rate. We will write a custom essay sample on Empowerment of Girl Child or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page India has a skewed sex ratio, with 829 women to 1000 men in some parts of the country. During the field surveys for the gender studies, researchers found in some blocks of Haryana, sex ratios of 500 girls to 1000 boys in the age group 0-6 years. Development thinkers across the ideological spectrum agree that education is one of the most significant factors in changing the status of women. The skewed sex ratio and the high infant mortality rate are as much a cause as an effect of the disparity in educational opportunities between boys and girls. According to the 1991 census, the female literacy rate at 39. 42 per cent is bout two-thirds the literacy rate of men at 63. 86 per cent. It is recognised that in rural India, of every 100 girls who enrolled in Class I only 1 entered Class XII. In urban areas, the situation is slightly better with 14 girls of every 100 making it to Class XII. A Empowering the Girl Child through Education Empowering the girl child through education Digumarty Bhaskara Rao DISTRICT PRIMARY EDUCATION PROGRAMME 01AUGUST 1995 N21 CED documentation is for educative purposes-for your reference and study only majority of the girls in rural areas drop out in primary school. Of the 100 who enroll in Class I, only 40 join Class V, an attrition rate of 60 per cent. Among disadvantaged groups, the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, linguistic and religious minorities and families living in difficultto- reach areas, the drop-out rate is much higher. The District Primary education Programme (DPEP) which aims to restructure primary education, so as to enhance enrollment, retention, achievement and school effectiveness, was created to reach out to the goals set out in the NPE and implement the strategy of decentralised planning, disaggregated target-setting of the Programme of Action 1992. Now operational in 42 districts spread over seven states, the programme is being implemented in districts where the female literacy rate is below the national average or where the total literacy campaign has successfully generated a demand for elementary education. The initiative is aimed at achieving the goal of UEE in a replicable, cost-effective and sustainable manner. Building on the experience of similar initiatives launched earlier, the programme emphasises an areaspecific approach, which is contextual and sensitive to local conditions. Integrating a gender perspective in all aspects of planning and implementation, the decentralised approach within DPEP actively encourages the involvement of local communities, particularly women, in all decision-making processes. The DPEP is committed to reducing gender disparities in enrolment, retention and levels of student achievement. It has marked gender focus with all planning and implementation processes sensitised to meet the special needs of girls education and womens empowerment. Providing Educational Opportunities to all Girls One of the objectives of DPEP is the reduction of gender disparities in enrolment, retention and learner achievements. Providing all girls with access to educational opportunities is the primary goal of the programme. To achieve this, efforts are on to: †¢ Make the educational system more supportive to the needs of girls and women. †¢ Create an environment which enables women to demand education for themselves and their daughters. In the seven states where DPEP is now operational, strategies to improve girls access to educational opportunities and womens empowerment are significant highlight of the overall planning and implementation process.

Job Gospel Essays - Book Of Job, Job, Eliphaz, Satan, Bildad, Zophar

Job Gospel The Book of Job is not simply a story, but a fable, rich with meaning and lessons to be learned. I found Job to be one of the most interesting accounts in the Bible, especially because it attempts to rationalize human suffering and the ways of the Lord. It seems to me that the idea came first, and a story was found to fit it, or one was made up, but that the entire reason for the Book of Job to be included in the Bible is for its purpose in teaching us that we must endure what troubles we are given, because it is the Will of God. I have many questions about this book, none of which can be easily answered by anyone living today: Who wrote this tale, and how did they know what took place in heaven? Did they just see Job suffering his losses, only to regain them tenfold when his faith did not swerve? These are only a few of my thoughts as I read Job, but overall, I found it a fascinating story that I wanted to explore in detail, and that is why I chose to write on it. Job was a righteous man who lived in Uz with his seven sons and three daughters. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yokes of oxen, five hundred donkeys and many slaves. Each year, he held a banquet where Job would have each of his children purified, for fear that they might have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. On the day that the angels came to attest before God, God pointed out to the accusing angel (Satan) how righteous and respectful Job was to Him. Satan claimed that Job's actions and character originated with evil and self-serving motives: Job is so righteous and respectful because he has no reason to act otherwise, but if God were to give him hardship, he would curse the name of the Lord. Satan challenges God to test Job, and reluctantly, God accepts. Here, we see Satan prodding the Lord, who is supposed to be almighty and knowledgable about everything, into testing one of his faithful servants for no reason other than to prove his loyalty. This explains why God sometimes strikes down the righteous for no apparent reason, but it also makes us question whether or not God truly has our best interest at heart. God seems to have the character of a small child here, wanting to uphold his name, to show Satan that he "can too" prove that Job is faithful. On Earth, Job was stricken with misfortune. All his children died of one tragedy or another, his animals were either stolen or struck by lightning. Job did not curse God, he rationalized the act, what God gives, He can also take away. He bragged to Satan about how faithful and righteous his servant Job was, like the small child we saw him as before. Again, Satan pushed God on, claiming that Job was still faithful and righteous because he had not been affected directly by God's test. He persuades God to test Job once more. This time, Job's health is destroyed in a most horrifying form. Job is covered in boils from head to toe so badly, that he uses a piece of broken pottery to scratch the dead flesh off with. At this point, Job's faith in the Lord is tested by his wife, who wondered why he is still so faithful to God. As we all know, the hardest part of faith is to believe when others around you do not, and can convince you that they are right while you are wrong. Still, Job rebuked his wife and refused to sin. Job had three friends: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Namathite. These three friends heard of what happened to Job and came to offer their sympathy and grief. After about a week of prayers, Job finally broke down and cursed the day he was born. He wondered why life should be given to a person who desires only death, who has ceased to find any value in life, who has lost all hope of escape from continuous terror and torment. His friends answer him in a series of three rounds, the first being the most significant of the three. Eliphaz answered him first, saying that Job helped others with encouraging words but now that the tables are turned, he impatiently gave up. The