Introduction
A strong central government is a political system whereby, all the laws that are supposed to govern a country are made by the central government. Some people argue that it is the most appropriate system of governance because it does away with the variations that would affect the approach towards the delivery of services to the general population. On the other hand though, many people argue that it is not the best because of the situations whereby a government strategizes on how to deliver its services at one point without considering the dynamics and economics associated with a particular section of the country (Duff 2006). This therefore leads to unbalanced economic growth. In the 21st century therefore, I believe that it is inappropriate for Washington to have greater power to dictate national policy. In a federal system of governance, power is shared between the central government and the various regional governments (Bruce 2006). This power sharing arrangement is formulated in a written constitution and therefore these regional governments have the authority to act independently in certain areas of governance. In order to avoid conflicts, the federal government should avoid overriding state policies. Federalism is an avenue that provides a political system that is accommodative to local issues and at the same time expands the democratic space of a country (Bruce 2006). This is done by moving power and policy making organs from the central government to the other sub-units. This movement enables different units to create and enact different and unique policies that are relevant to their daily and long term needs. This is very appropriate because it can grant citizens with an opportunity to make a decision to reside in a region with policies that suit their sociocultural believes and values. To take this discussion to another level, personally, if I was to be granted an opportunity to make amendments to the American constitution, I would not entrust greater powers to Washington D.C and less power to the states. This is because, a balanced federal system provides proper checks to the powers of the central government. It has been proved that when power is shared between the central government and the other executive units, and it shared in such a way that each authority is independent of the other in its own unique way, then a solution is found to the problem that may arise as a result of conflict between the central government and the provincial administration. A balanced federal political system has also provided more opportunities for participation in politics and governance. This is as a result of the more number of levels of government created which in turn has expanded the room for citizens to vote and hold office. These offices in a long time have always provided a platform to prepare different citizens to be able to take over national leadership as others leave office. Also still, democracy seems to be enhanced better in a more balanced federal system because it provides a proper avenue for constructive criticism and opposition to practices and policies set out by the government.
In governance, pubic policy is described as an attempt by a government to address a public issue affecting a state or a country (Cochran & Malone 1999). This could be the central government, regional government or even a city. In a country’s quest to develop a public policy, the strategy should be guided by the laws and regulations governing that country. It is also important to bring to our attention that, public policy making is described by three factors i.e. the challenge, actors and the policy. The issue that should be tackled is the challenge where as the actor is that individual or group of individuals that influence the formation of a strategy to be followed in solving the challenge. The agreed upon course of action to be taken is the policy. In my opinion, I believe that the states and local governments are fundamentally equipped to handle the current public policy challenges of today because they have the expertise to adequately address the concerns and issues that may have national implications. This is evident in the studies carried out in many states showing the level of development in this states. The studies showed that there were sufficient and reliable institutions of learning where people get relevant knowledge in different fields e.g. law, health, engineering, aviation, landscape, administration and information technology to name but a few.
Conclusion
I would therefore like to conclude by saying that, a strong central government is not ideal for nations because it is not sensitive to different people’s dynamics and economics. I strongly believe that federalism is the way to solve the unending challenges facing most of the developed and even developing nations that practice the strong central political systems. It opens up space to practice democracy and equality to enable every citizen to have a sense of belonging.
Reference list
Duff, H. T. (2006). Central government. London: Adegi Graphics.
Bruce, L. (2006). Federal government: Understanding Australian government Series. Australia: Macmillan Education.
Cochran, C. L., & Malone, E. F. (1999). Public policy: perspectives and choices. New York: McGraw hill College Publishers.