There has been a lot of debate on whether the central government should have greater power in controlling national policies compared to local governments. The power struggle between Washington DC and the local governments in the United States of America has led to ineffective implementation of important national policies (Norton, 2007).
The people in support of a strong central government argue that federal governments have inadequate capacity to handle issues that have national implications. There is a widespread feeling that local governments in the United States of America are not yet ready to handle and cope with the challenges associated with public policy.
This paper will explain why Washington should have a greater power to dictate national policy and handle issues that have national implications.
The United States of America has got both the central and local governments in place with the latter having substantial powers to influence national policies (Bardes, 2011). The constitution should be amended to give the central government greater power to influence national policy because of a number of reasons.
To begin with, the local governments will be able to operate effectively under the check of the central government and in the process promoting accountability (Bardes, 2011). A strong central government will have an easy task of implementing national policies affecting all states compared to local governments that may have different opinions and in the process complicating policy implementation.
The central government with greater power will ensure uniformity in setting up fundamental regulations such and trade and taxing regulations. By having a strong central government does not ignore the fact that the local authorities within the states play useful subordinate roles (Norton, 2007).
Washington should have greater power to facilitate revenue sharing to provide reprieve to some states with limited resources. This will also help a great deal in ensuring legal disputes that often arise due to different levels of government are avoided. A strong central government prevents duplication of roles at the local government level (Norton, 2007).
National issues such as education, public welfare and environmental standards can be well addressed by the central government through categorical grants. Autonomous states tend to engage in unnecessary competion that can destabilize the whole country. A strong central government addresses the issue of regional inequalities by ensuring than national resources and employment opportunities are shared equally.
The local governments are not yet ready to handle public policy challenges due to the inequalities that exist in various states. The competition among different states is often a great hindrance to implementing a national policy.
This makes it difficult for local governments to handle issues that have national implications thus making it necessary to have a strong central government that will be in a position to address national issues. When policies are being formulated at the state level, it is only intellectuals who are involved and in the process ignoring the views of the public (Tocqueville, 2003).
In conclusion, Washington should have more power to dictate national policies for uniformity and equality. Local governments are useful in administration but should only play a subordinate role to the central government to prevent a conflict of interests. A strong central government helps in equal distribution of national resources and in the process addressing the inequalities that exist among different states.
References
Bardes, B. (2011). American government and politics today: The essentials. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Norton, M. (2007). A people & a nation: A history of the United States: to1877. New York, NY: Cengage Learning
Tocqueville, A. (2003). Democracy in America. New York, NY: Regnery Gateway.