Which of the following systems concentrates power the most at the top national level

3.1 The Division of Powers

Federalism is a system of government that creates two relatively autonomous levels of government, each possessing authority granted to them by the national constitution. Federal systems like the one in the United States are different from unitary systems, which concentrate authority in the national government, and from confederations, which concentrate authority in subnational governments.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

3.1 The Division of Powers
3.2 The Evolution of American Federalism
3.3 Intergovernmental Relationships
3.4 Competitive Federalism Today
3.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism
THREE SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT System Level of Centralization Strength Weakness (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Unitary (e.g., China, France, Japan, United Kingdom) High Sets uniform policies that direct the entire nation Disregards local differences Federal (e.g., United States, Germany, Australia, Canada) Medium Gives local governments more power Sacrifices national uniformity on some issues Confederate (e.g., Confederate States of America, Belgium) Low Gives local/regional governments almost complete control Sets no significant uniform national policies
Unitary Systems
Federal Systems
Confederate Systems
Which level of government has the most power in a confederation?
Where is the most power located under a confederate system of government?
What are the three categories of power held by the national government?
In which of the following political systems is power divided between the federal or national government and the state governments?

The U.S. Constitution allocates powers to the states and federal government, structures the relationship between these two levels of government, and guides state-to-state relationships. Federal, state, and local governments rely on different sources of revenue to enable them to fulfill their public responsibilities.

3.2 The Evolution of American Federalism

Federalism in the United States has gone through several phases of evolution during which the relationship between the federal and state governments has varied. In the era of dual federalism, both levels of government stayed within their own jurisdictional spheres. During the era of cooperative federalism, the federal government became active in policy areas previously handled by the states. The 1970s ushered in an era of new federalism and attempts to decentralize policy management.

3.3 Intergovernmental Relationships

To accomplish its policy priorities, the federal government often needs to elicit the cooperation of states and local governments, using various strategies. Block and categorical grants provide money to lower government levels to subsidize the cost of implementing policy programs fashioned in part by the federal government. This strategy gives state and local authorities some degree of flexibility and discretion as they coordinate with the federal government. On the other hand, mandate compels state and local governments to abide by federal laws and regulations or face penalties.

3.4 Competitive Federalism Today

Some policy areas have been redefined as a result of changes in the roles that states and the federal government play in them. The constitutional disputes these changes often trigger have had to be sorted out by the Supreme Court. Contemporary federalism has also witnessed interest groups engaging in venue shopping. Aware of the multiple access points to our political system, such groups seek to access the level of government they deem will be most receptive to their policy views.

3.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism

The benefits of federalism are that it can encourage political participation, give states an incentive to engage in policy innovation, and accommodate diverse viewpoints across the country. The disadvantages are that it can set off a race to the bottom among states, cause cross-state economic and social disparities, and obstruct federal efforts to address national problems.

A system of government distributes power among different parts and levels of the state. Political scientists study the uses of power, including how power is distributed within a state. The amount of power held by the central government determines the system of government a state has. There are three main systems of government used today: unitary systems, federal systems, and confederate systems.

THREE SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT System Level of Centralization Strength Weakness (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Unitary (e.g., China, France, Japan, United Kingdom) High Sets uniform policies that direct the entire nation Disregards local differences Federal (e.g., United States, Germany, Australia, Canada) Medium Gives local governments more power Sacrifices national uniformity on some issues Confederate (e.g., Confederate States of America, Belgium) Low Gives local/regional governments almost complete control Sets no significant uniform national policies

Unitary Systems

A unitary system has the highest degree of centralization. In a unitary state, the central government holds all the power. Lower-level governments, if they exist at all, do nothing but implement the policies of the national government. In a purely unitary state, the same set of laws applies throughout the nation, without variation. Unitary states create national policy, which is then applied uniformly. This uniformity sometimes serves as an advantage because people and businesses know exactly what to expect from the laws, regardless of geographical location. At the same time, to maintain its uniformity, a unitary government must overlook local differences that might call for different rules or policies.

Example: Most absolute monarchies and tyrannies operate under unitary systems. But democratic unitary states exist as well. In France, for example, the central government makes virtually all of the decisions.

Federal Systems

A federal system has a mix of national and state or local gov- ernments. The federal government usually trumps local governments in matters of defense and foreign policy, but local governments have a great deal of say over most other policy areas. Sometimes local governments administer national policies, which means that, in practice, the “national” policy varies a great deal from place to place.

Example: In the United States, state governments administered Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) throughout the length of the program, 1935–1997. Although the federal government set certain rules for how the money was to be spent, state governments had the power to administer it as they saw fit. Some states, therefore, gave little money through AFDC, whereas others were much more generous.

Often, the boundary between national and local power is blurred. Federal systems have the opposite strengths and weaknesses of unitary systems: They excel at factoring in local circumstances but often fail to have a coherent national policy.

Example: The United States, Mexico, and Canada operate under federal systems. These states have a mix of national and state governments that share power and policymaking responsibilities.

Confederate Systems

A confederate system sits at the other extreme in terms of centralization. A confederacy is a loose relationship among a number of smaller political units. The vast majority of political power rests with the local governments; the central federal government has very little power. Local governments have a great deal of freedom to act as they wish, but this freedom often leads to conflicts between states and the federal government. In some cases, a confederacy is little more than an alliance between independent states.

Example: For Americans, the Confederate States of America—which governed the South during the Civil War—is the best-known example of a confederacy, but there have been others. In fact, the first government of the United States, created by the Articles of Confederation (finished in 1777), was this type of system. Today, Belgium is basically a confederacy between two largely independent states, Flanders in the north and Wallonia in the south.

Which level of government has the most power in a confederation?

In a confederation, the state or local government is supreme. The national government only wields powers granted by the states. Most confederations have allowed the local government to nullify a federal law within its own borders.

Where is the most power located under a confederate system of government?

Their system of government was described in the Articles of Confederation. In this system, the state governments had most of the power.

What are the three categories of power held by the national government?

How the U.S. Government Is Organized.

Legislative—Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of Representatives and Senate).

Executive—Carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet, most federal agencies).

Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts).

In which of the following political systems is power divided between the federal or national government and the state governments?

Federalism is the system of government in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments; in the United States, both the national government and the state governments possess a large measure of sovereignty.