Advantages And Disadvantages The Federal And Unitary Government - Essay Example

Advantages and Disadvantages the Federal and Unitary Government Politics Essay

• Federal Government

A federal system is one where authority is shared between two distinct wings of governments: National and regional government. The authority of the national government is to be exercised over the entire territory of a country. However, regional governments only have authority over a well-defined regional boundary. It is worth noting that regional governments often receive their autonomy from the national government. America, being a federal state, uses this form of governance.

The US has a unique system. Its national government resulted from a decision by previously independent states. As a result, the national government in the US has limited authority over local administrations since its role is well-defined. Regardless, the national government still has authority over national matters.

Authority is always well-distributed between the said wings of government. For instance, the role of the national government is to produce and enforce laws meant for an entire nation. The national government has many other responsibilities not enjoyed by the regional governments. These include the maintenance of national security and engagement in international diplomacy.

These are duties that affect the entire country, and thus cannot be given to a single local authority. It is because regional governments are known only to serve the interests of a specific region. So, it could be said that power, in this system, is formed through devolution, where absolute authority is taken from the national government and adequately distributed to the devolved units mostly headed by governors.

• Unitary System of Government

A unitary system is a case where much power is with the central government. It means that, in a unitary system, authority wholly belongs to the national administration. The same central government in a unitary system had the duty of governing regional boundaries through its administrative arms. A perfect example of unitary governments is Great Britain. Great Britain, unlike the US, has a central government with higher authority than the authority held by individual states.

Another example of a country with a unitary system is France, where authority is mainly given to the central government while local units are divided in the form of provinces. Needless to say, well-established unitary governments are always as democratic as any other nation in the world. These governments always have a powerful central government as opposed to confederate governments whose central governments are weakened by the remarkable autonomy exercised by local governments.

Authority, within the federal government, is always divided between the two tiers of government. The constitution offers clear guidance on the roles help by the national administration and those held by local governments. It ensures that none of these two tiers of government in the federal system get into conflicts based on roles assigned to each. These responsibilities or system of governance could only be changed through a constitutional change. It gives power to the citizens as they make these decisions through a voting process. If they don't want the proposed amendment, then they will vote no. There are cases where governmental representatives could take up this role and decide on the changes on behalf of the citizens.

Governments could be classified based on their decision-making process. For instance, there is the totalitarian system of government, where the administration preserves total control over private and public life. Totalitarianism puts restrictions on opposition parties and individuals. It is the most restricting form of authoritarianism.

Unitary and Federal Government - Differences

• Unitary Government

Here, there is only the central government with no defined hierarchy of power.

Regional boundaries have no sovereign powers to pass their own laws as they depend on the central government. For example, whatever decision made has to be guided by the central government.

The central administration holds a more significant percentage of political power. An excellent example if the system in Japan.

• Federal Government

It is a government with two tiers of administration, each having a clear hierarchy of power – including the central and sub-national government. Both of these exercise sovereign powers over those under their respective authority.

The national government has a more significant responsibility as it represents citizens in all its states. Thus, its authority is beyond that by regional governments.

Authority is generally shared between the national and regional levels of government. For example, the US has a federal system of governance that is made up of a federal or national government and local government.

Pros and Cons of Unitary System of Government (Central Administration)

Unitary power operates in a system where the central government holds the largest share of power.

Advantage

One significant advantage of this system of governance is that it is run from a central point where there is a lot of accountability with fewer people trying to embezzle funds. It also operates under and single and decisive system of legislation. It means, for example, that decisions of national interest are rarely delayed, as is witnessed in other forms of government. However, this speed in implementation by the central authority is, at times, hindered by biases and bureaucratic red tape.

Disadvantage

This form of administration is always too slow in its response. It is because the central government is the one that controls all local resources. Regional boundaries have no authority to offer support like national guards, who might come in handy in times of emergency without having to wait for the central administration to give approval. Its bureaucracy means that issues would take longer than usual to be solved. The local government's authority is too diminished that everyone always tends to fight for control of the central government.

Pros and Cons of Federalism

Advantages

Federalism allows for a fair representation of communities in all states. Some needs and aspirations, culture, and ethnicity could have been ignored if there wasn't such a form of governance. However, with this system, even the most despised minority groups are offered a chance to enjoy representation and support. For example, it is why it is not strange for schools in Hispanic states to have bilingual education, as opposed to what is found in some other non-Hispanic regions. It is because policies are formed based on local needs rather than basing them on a national outlook.

Every region has issues that are peculiar to those residing in it. The devolution of responsibilities means that regional governors live closer to the people they govern. As a result, they quickly identify these issues and adopt speedy corrective measures. The remedial measures offered are always specific to the need of residents since the regional representatives understand what locals are experiencing and the unique way to solve their challenges without a gamble. For example, Hawaii could quickly identify the best corrective measure for its traffic issues as opposed to if it depended on someone living in a different region with other peculiar problems.

States are free to create and adopt policies that might necessarily not be of national interest. For example, same-sex marriages were first adopted by states like Iowa and Massachusetts, even though America's federal government did not initially recognize them.

Federalism creates a chance for countries to experiment and innovate. It is based on the fact that each state implements its duties in a unique. For instance, Iowa might have a different strategy for taxation or education compared to what New York chooses. However, if Iowa's tactic becomes more productive, then all states, including New York, might borrow the idea and use it in their respective systems of state governance.

There is maximum utilization of a country's resources through the division of power between the state and the federal government. It is because each wing of government has a clear focus that makes it gives its best towards achieving ultimate results. So there are no chances of a national administration getting confused or not giving its all since it has to serve all functions.

Disadvantages of Federalism

Power-sharing has its advantages and disadvantages. One considerable drawback is power disputes, where the state and federal government are likely to fail to decide whose responsibility it is to handle specific roles. For example, there are moments such as when typhoons occur that federal and state power fail to understand whose role is to manage the situations. In such moments, it takes longer before appropriate help is offered to the affected.

There is also a high likelihood of selfishness as state governments might be too biased. It could be seen in the type of policies they implement. For example, one state's policy on industrialization might boost its booming industries while passing hazardous wastes to neighboring regions. In this case, the state would only be interested in the good of its own people, even if this happens at the expense of neighboring states.

Inequality becomes the order of the day since different states have different opportunities to offer based on their resources. For instance, rich states would provide more and better opportunities to their residents that poor regions. It is for this reason that it is not uncommon to find some states having a larger percentage of the rich than others.

Federalism is an expensive system of administration as it involves the elections of more people into positions of might. It involves those occupying state positions and those in the national government. Enough money has to be allocated towards their salaries and allowances, which is, at times, draining, especially in times of financial meltdowns.

The expenses become more unreasonable when these people elected to positions of authority have conflicting roles that could have otherwise been adequately handled by the central administration. The conflicts might, at times, affect the relationship between the two tiers of administration at citizens begin siding with the local authority against the national government or vice versa.

Poverty is never eliminated by federalism. It can be seen even in the wealthiest states in the US, where there still exist large communities of poor people in poor neighborhoods. It is because most of these states rely on the contribution of intellectuals in the policymaking process and fail to include the views of the minority poor locals. Such are the points that are to be given when working on an "advantages and disadvantages the federal and unitary government politics essay."