The Interaction Between the State and the Local Government - Paper Example

Introduction

In the US local governments are the most popular form of the government that ensures a smooth running of public service on a daily basis. They are also the main regulators of any businesses and individuals. Public opinion polls have constantly shown that locals are confident that the local government has been spending the taxpayers' money wisely and giving the best benefits. (State University of Newyork Press, 2012). In this topic, I learned that these states get the powers to exercise from the constitution and statutes. I also felt that the earlier constitution had no clear indication about how to exercise power, thereby leaving the local government at the state of the state legislature.

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It is also important to note that political power distributed within a state can be categorized in three areas including local control of an area, state control and a shared sphere between the state and the locals. I also understand that sometimes there is a lot of tension between the state and the local which does not come as a surprise since the state has more power and legal authority over the local government. The conflict of interest is mostly how to use legislative action to find solutions especially when the local government is mandated to provide a service that needs funding by the state whereas the state expects the local government to fully fund the project (State University of Newyork Press, 2012). Georgia was reported to be the fourth highest in the universal rate of the uninsured, at 12.9% in 2016. Their elected leaders argued that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) program would be too expensive. Some scholars argue that it was due to some law's faults (Miller, 2018).

Power Sharing

Both the state and the federal government have exclusive and concurrent powers. This has caused debate for balancing these powers. Federalism is a system of governance where there is a shared role between the national and state government. In the US the system evolved because of the need to satisfy the different population with their needs. The people who came up with the federal system had envisioned a scenario where the state would run the daily activities of its citizens. This is still happening in some cases because the state provides marriage licenses, car registration, and driving licenses. My interest was in Article IV of the US constitution which gives the duties of the state to each other and to the federal government towards the state. Section 1 of Article IV also stipulates to the state to give a full account of the public acts and judiciary proceedings of every state. Section 2 also requires that all citizens enjoy privileges and immunities (Khan Academy, 2019).

In as much as the state retains a lot of power, other states can also come up with policies to govern their education, health among other issues. I also felt that it is important to note that both the federal state and the state can tax, make and enforce laws and also lend money. In regards to enhancing my learning, I have gone further to research the history of federalism. I have noted that the current balance of power has changed over time. In the earlier days, the powers were strictly separated and clearly stipulated (Khan Academy, 2019).

According to Okoro et al. (2015) in the year 2010, the ACA was meant to increase the number of insured Americans. In accordance with the ACA, each state was to give Medicaid to all residents with an income of less than 130% of the federal poverty level. Later in 2012, the supreme court ruled that it was unconstitutional and that each state had a choice to give Medicaid or not.

The Ninth and Tenth Amendment

I learned the importance of the ninth and tenth amendment whereby the ninth amendment stipulates that there are other rights retained by citizens despite them not being listed on the bill of rights. The tenth amendment on the other side does not only focus on protecting individual rights but also reduces the power of the federal government. It also seeks to give some particular powers to the state but still affirms that the federal government is not limited in powers. I believe that the tenth amendment plays a vital role in power-sharing its principle that ascertains that specific powers not withheld by the national government are "reserved" by the federal government to the states (Ebrary.net, 2019).

References

Ebrary.net. (2019). Ninth and Tenth Amendment. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from ebrary.net: https://ebrary.net/5884/law/ninth_tenth_amendments_concept_federalism

Khan Academy. (2019). The Relationship Between the States and the Federal Government. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from www.khanacademy.org: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-us-government-and-politics/foundations-of-american-democracy/relationship-between-states-and-the-federal-government/a/relationship-between-the-states-and-the-federal-government-article

Miller, A. (2018, September 16). Georgia's Uninsured Rate climbs, Fourth-Highest in Nation. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from www. albanyherald.com: https://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/georgia-s-uninsured-rate-climbs-fourth-highest-in-nation/article_03b53a75-580d-5559-a4a5-d8f81b37a8fb.html

Okoro, C. A., Zhao, G., Dhingra, S. S., & Xu, F. (2015). Lack of Health Insurance Among Adults Aged 18 to 64 Years: Findings from the 203 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. CDC. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4699744/

State University of Newyork Press. (2012). Government and their Political Divisions. Albany: State University of Newyork Press.