Comparative Federalism - Essay Example

Comparative Federalism Federalism refers to division of power between two or more centers of power that is a regional government and central government. Most of the developed nations ever experience a relative power struggle between their central and regional governments. American federal system of governance distributes power between two centers of power that is the state governments and the national government (Bardes, Shelley, and Shelley 50). These governments have their own spheres of authorities.

Different nations offer difference systems of the federal system of governance. The federalism in Canada was founded in the 1867constitution act. Notably, federalism bounds members of a natation together as a covenant with a representative head. Moreover, sovereign is a system of governance that is constitutionally segregated between constituent political units and central government authority (Federalism 09). However, opposed to the United States, the Canadian federalism opposes sovereignty movement or the Quebec separatism.

Federalism has a series of benefits primarily it combines the local self-rule and shared rules. Nation like United States adopted it with the main aim of constitutionally protecting the autonomy of each level of power divides. Constitutionally, federalism has laws that are written to ensure that there are certainties in division of power (Hüglin and Alan 46). The laws also ensure that the constitutional courts have the authority of interpreting and settling disputes that might arise between different levels of power.

Both in Canada and United States, the federal governments, were designed as federal units that are to protect the less populated regions especially through the senate level of governance. In addition, the subsidiarity principle ensures that governance matter or other related issues are handled at the lowest level of governance and such matters can only be transferred to the higher-level government as necessary (Schmidt, Shelley, and Bardes 362).Federal governance should be adopted by nations that are not yet using it.

Federalism allows union of people and regions with common interests regardless of their culture, religion, race, language, and history. This system of governance also promotes national objectives such as national defense, economic union and prosperity, and individual’s rights protection (Lefroy 563). Federation system of governance often preserves the ability of regional governments to lead or govern over cultural and local matters. Federal system often acts as a check and balances thereby preventing concentration of power within one government.

The United States prosperity may be pegged substantially on this system of government; therefore, nations should adopt this system of governance, but with fair distribution of power within the created government or power points.American and Canadian federalism systems have different direction and dimensions of implementation. For example, the trade and commerce in Canada is federal than state power centered. Taxations powers in Canada are distributed differently compared to the distribution of the same in the United States.

Canadian federal government has both indirect and direct taxation power while its provincial governments have the direct taxation powers. Additionally, the Canadian federal government has the powers of appointing provincial superior court judges (Ruggiero 214). This has led to separatism threat from Québec that has decentralized the Canadian government structures. The federalism in United States has ever put the central government and the political elites into check and balances thereby hindering the abuse of power.

Nonetheless, the American history has shown in different points that this system of governance has its own challenges. Regardless of the challenges of the federal governance, it forms an essential foundation of nations that adopt it. The division of power described by this system ensures that power distribution among all the organs of governments; thus, limiting the powers of the government. Furthermore, it ensures equal representation of all part of a nation into the governing institution including equal representation at the Supreme Court and senate.

Finally, the federal government allows distribution of cost among different organs of the administrative body while protecting cultural and regional rights of all citizens.Works CitedBardes, Barbara A, Mack C. Shelley, and Steffen W. Schmidt. American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth, 2009. Print.Federalism. Univ of British Columbia Pr, 2005. Print.Hüglin, Thomas O, and Alan Fenna. Comparative Federalism: A Systematic Inquiry. Peterborough, Ontario [u.a.: Broadview Press, 2006. Print.Lefroy, A H. F. Canadas Federal System: Being a Treatise on Canadian Constitutional Law Under the British North America Act.

Clark, NJ: Lawbook Exchange, 2006. Print.Ruggiero, Cristina M. The Construction of Judicial Power in a Federal System: Lessons from Canada, United States and Germany. , 2008. Print.Schmidt, Steffen W, Mack C. Shelley, and Barbara A. Bardes. American Government and Politics Today: Brief Edition, 2010-2011. United States: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.