How American Federalism Helps and Hurts Florida The advantages and disadvantages of federalism have been a subject of debate since the formation of the republic. In this essay I will discuss two advantages and two disadvantages of federalism in Florida. Webster's dictionary defines federalism as a system of government in which entities such as states or provinces share power with a national government. As I see it, the federal government and the states both have power over the same areas, the federal government simply has more power. This is demonstrated by the Constitution, in which the federal government is granted broad powers, but the states are not. This distribution of power occurred when those operating under the Articles of Confederation decided that it gave the states too much power. The Supremacy Clause, an important part of the Constitution, was adopted to ensure that the federal government always holds more power than the states. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay As an American citizen who grew up in Florida, I feel close ties to Florida. I appreciate how federalism allows me to maintain this connection to my home state, and I'm sure many people across the United States feel the same way. Another advantage of federalism is the fact that state and local officials are within arm's reach of the problems in their areas, making it more fair and efficient for them to choose and veto laws that help solve these problems. Federalism helps states become models for other states by allowing states to observe other states to see what works and what doesn't. “California has often led the nation in environmental regulations – many measures adopted by California have subsequently been adopted by other states. And during the 1990s, Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson experimented with welfare policy, and those experiments influenced federal welfare reform” (SparkNotes Editors). Another advantage of federalism is that the federal government does not have as many smaller issues to worry about, so it is now able to focus on larger national issues. I think it's great how federalism encourages local people to step up and fill a local government position, and how federalism ultimately guarantees freedom by promising power to the states regardless of who has power over the three branches of government. While federalism offers many benefits, it also has some flaws. An example of a disadvantage of federalism is the absence of a national policy, meaning that each state has its own policies, and this can sometimes lead to disorientation when it comes to law. Federalism may also fail to hold either national or state governments accountable because the lines are blurred. Many people don't feel the need to vote when it comes to state government positions, but they really should pay close attention to who gets elected, because these elected officials and the state government have more power than most people think. United States America is a mix, and therefore it is not possible to guarantee that every state agrees and follows the laws passed by a federal government. This is why federalism is important. Federalism ensures unity within states because it gives individual states the power to govern themselves to some extent. Federalism gives Florida the power to govern crime and punishment, health care, environmental law and more. An example of how federalism works”.