U.S Government : Federal vs. State - Dissertation Example

Federal vs. The debate of the power of the federal versus the government has been occurring since the Revolutionary War. It was formed out of the idea that the former British colonies had just won independence from a monarchy, therefore why would they want to put themselves back under one rule. In addition, the colonies were way more autonomous than the states that are composed today in modern day. The debate began with the Federalist and the Anti-federalists. When the first legislature was formed, it was designed so that while the Federal government had power, the states’ still retained some individual autonomy and had representation in the federal government.

Even today, that power struggle still continues. The United States is currently having a number of issues that can be addressed by looking at the way that the power is being allocated. In the case of our overseas military efforts and foreign relations, it is obvious that the federal government and Congress retain this authority. Especially dealing with the recent budget cuts and economic turmoil, it is better for the federal government to take the center stage as the dominant political entity.

This is because states will often act in their best interest to make sure that the citizens of the state are taken care of. Sometimes, these decisions are made without thinking of the impact on other states; this is where the flaw resides in the Union. Therefore, with the federal government holding a majority of the power, they can make policies and lead the country so that it will ensure the survival of the Union. Sometimes, this means that some states may suffer depending on the types of amendments and motions that are made, but the good of the entire country must be placed over the individual states that compose it.

The argument of states’ rights and the power of the federal government will continue into the future. Our political system is very fluidic and is guided by a “living document”. In the instances of the most recent problems that our country has faced, the federal government has stepped in and taken a vital role in the regulation and solution of these problems. This shows that the federal government is the stronger of the two and has significantly more resources to make change and it still receives input from state legislature.