Balance Of Power In The United States

Words: 1832
Pages: 8
Open Document
As James Madison once said in Federalist No. 51 ““the power surrendered by the people” would be “divided between two distinct governments,” creating a balance of power that would enable the “different governments [to] control each other” (Gaylord 1). There are many different types of societies all throughout the world and this one society is one that triumphs all. A society of over 300 million people who are free to do many things under the law they live in. They have a choice about where they want to live and depending on where they live what types of laws they have to follow. Even though there is a national government that enforces certain laws, there are state and local governments that have similar power in making laws and enforcing laws. …show more content…
According to the Cornell Law School, “Both the national government and the smaller political subdivisions have the power to make laws and both have a certain level of autonomy from each other. The United States has a federal system of governance consisting of the national or federal government, and the government of the individual states” (“Federalism” 1). The use of a federal system by the United States is granted through the U.S. Constitution. Cornell Law School additionally discusses that the federal government deals with issues with national concern, whereas domestic concerns are generally the issues that are among state government concerns. One national concern that the federal government has control over is the power to levy taxes. Moreover, there are specific powers that the federal government has that the state government does not have. These specific powers are granted to Congress and include the power to mint money, declare war, establish post offices, and levy taxes. Even though federalism has a clear picture in the U.S. Constitution, there are still setbacks that have changed the way federalism is used in the United …show more content…
There is a current trend towards federalism because it gives ethnic groups some control over their own affairs, allows for sharing over power between political parties, and democracy’s all across the world have been seen as the basic framework of governance over the past three decades. Larry Diamond states “The thinking is that if different ethnic and regional minorities have some autonomy, some ability to determine their own local affairs with respect to education, culture, and economic development, they will feel more secure, and be more willing to accept the authority and legitimacy of the larger national state” (Diamond 4). By giving minorities the abilities to have participation in political affairs, it allows for all people to be heard in our democracy and feel more welcomed to share their ideas. Second, the division of power between the two political parties is essential for United States because it allows citizens to feel the system if fair since one political party can control the federal government and another party can control a state government. If one party controlled everything, then those who don’t agree with the political party could revolt and cause challenge in society. Lastly, federalism is used all through the world, which allows for citizens to believe in the legitimacy of a
Show More

Related Documents: Balance Of Power In The United States

The United States Government: The Three Branches Of Government

The United States government is broken into three branches of government: the legislative, executive, and the judicial. The powers of the branches are given by the United States Constitution in the Congress, the president, and the federal courts. The powers and responsibilities of each branch are defined by the acts of the Congress. This encompasses the formation of executive departments and courts less powerful than the Supreme Court. The government of the United States has a long history. It was…

Words 345 - Pages 2

Process Essay: How Does The Constitution Guard Against Tyranny?

How Does the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny? Imagine what it would be like to not have the Constitution, is it possible that without it there could be tyranny in the United States? First off, what is tyranny? Tyranny is usually a government with an absolute ruler like a king or dictator. The first U. S. Constitution was the Articles of Confederation, but it failed due to not having a court system, no chief executive, and a weak central government. When framing the new constitution the biggest…

Words 728 - Pages 3

Founding Fathers Research Paper

The Founding Fathers' Vision for Limited Government in the United States The founding of the United States of America was a pivotal moment in history, marked by the ideals of liberty, justice, and limited government. The Founding Fathers, through their experiences with tyranny and oppression, crafted a vision for a government restrained in its powers, with checks and balances to prevent the concentration of authority. This essay explores the Founding Fathers' vision for a limited government and the…

Words 662 - Pages 3

who gave us democracy Essay

great ideas for democracy, such as veto power, checks and balances, laws for society and budget control. Many historians currently believe that the ideals used in the United States government will cause a governmental collapse. So far, our democracy has not collapsed, but thrived. The Roman government was organized in the same manner as the United States. Each country having three branches of government, the judicial, legislative and congressional. The power to veto was created by the Roman Emperor…

Words 1166 - Pages 5

Mr Archie Sparks Essay

‘The constitutional system of checks and balances does not work in practice’ Discuss. The constitution was drawn up at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Before the American Revolution in the 1770s, America was a British colony, and the revolution had its origins in what the colonists saw as the oppressive behaviour of the British government. Their discontent culminated in the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which rejected the British monarchy and Parliament, and claimed the sovereignty…

Words 1249 - Pages 5

Principles and Articles of the United States Constitution Essay

Principles and Articles 1 Principles and Articles of the United States Constitution Grand Canyon University: POS-301 October 6, 2013 Principles and Articles 2 Principle Description Authority in Constitution Self-Government This is a democratic form of government whereby the people exert some form of control over the government of their country or state. The framers of the constitution fearing tyrannical rule by the majority in a direct democracy formed the U…

Words 1952 - Pages 8

Separation of Powers and United States Essay

separation of powers, representation of population and checks and balances. In the constitution, federalism helps prevent tyranny. Federalism splits and divides the power of states and national government. Federalism separates powers which makes it really hard for one branch of government to over rule or take over one. One example of how federalism guards against tyranny is, if one of the branches of the three branches of government would not have complete control of the United States. Separation…

Words 366 - Pages 2

Antifederalists Vs Federalists Essay

The beginning of the United States of America was rooted in the fight for freedom and independence from Britain, but after independence from Britain the divide between the American people only changed from pro-independence vs anti-independence to Federalists vs Antifederalists, and as such the American people were left at an impasse and had to eventually reach a good compromise for the United States of America to progress, and of which was all documented on Magruder’s American Government. To give…

Words 568 - Pages 3

Bipololarity And Polarity

Polarity in international relations is any of the various ways in which power is distributed within the international system. It describes the nature of the international system at any given period of time. One generally distinguishes four types of systems: unipolarity, bipolarity, tripolarity, and multipolarity for four or more centers of power. The type of system is completely dependent on the distribution of power and influence of states in a region or globally. It is widely believed amongst theorists…

Words 2419 - Pages 10

Congress Separation Of Power

concept of "separation of powers" is a cornerstone of the United States Constitution, ensuring a system of checks and balances among the Executive and Legislative branches. For the President and Congress, this principle delineates their respective roles and limits within the federal government. While the President holds authority to enforce laws and conduct foreign policy, Congress plays a crucial role in passing legislation, overseeing the Executive branch, and holding the power of the purse. Congress's…

Words 463 - Pages 2