Federalism which designed the US form of government has both its advantages and disadvantages. In a federal government, there is a representation of different populations across multiple regions within the country. Citizens of different regions and states may have different aspirations, Ideologies, ethnicity, and different cultures and are all represented, where there is also a central government.
A major advantage of this system of governance is that there is a discussion of work between the central and the regional governments, hence leading to optimizing resource utilization. The central government, therefore, can concentrate on international affairs and the defense of the country, whereas the regional governments ensure that they cater to the local needs. Federalism gives room for innovation and experimentation. This is since the two forms of governments can have different approaches in bringing reforms, where the major aim is to improve the livelihoods of the people.
Sharing of power also has a share of its disadvantages. First, there can be an overlapping of work and subsequent Confusion on who is responsible for what. For example, in 2005 due to the typhoon Katrina In New Orleans, there was a delay in rescue works due to the confusion between the state and federal governments. A second disadvantage is that the federal system is very expensive since there are very many people elected to office in the two levels of government.
Despite the disadvantages of federalism, the US needs to maintain the same structure of governance. This is due to the many benefits that the structure has brought to the country, in terms of development and democracy. However, there should be a way of ensuring the cons associated with such a structure of governance are constantly analyzed and reduced.
