The United States government is rather complex. It is made up of numerous levels and branches (“State and Local”, n.d). Given the complexity of the government, one would expect chaos and dysfunction. While it is true that there is some chaos in the functioning of the three levels of government, they manage to collaborate fairly well. Policy is one of the areas that the levels of government join hands on. In this essay, an examination of how the different levels of government work together on policy is provided.
One of the ways through which the different levels of government work together on policy is ensuring that each level has the powers and authority to execute its mandate (Fairfax County Government, n.d). For example, the local governments obtain their powers from the laws enacted by the state legislature. The state and federal governments receive their powers from the constitution. Since each of these levels relies on the others for proper functioning, collaboration is essential. Without the authority that they are granted by the constitution and other levels, the different levels of government would be unable to perform their functions.
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Funding is a vital element of the functioning of any government. Without adequate funding, it is nearly impossible for the local, state and national governments to deliver services to their people. Funding is among the areas of policy that the governments work together on. The state governments ensure that the local governments are sufficiently funded so that they are able to function optimally (Fairfax County Government, n.d). While the state governments are autonomous, the federal government determines how funds are distributed. The federal government routinely provides funding to ensure that the state governments are able to implement their development policies. To understand how important collaboration between the different levels of government is, it is important to consider recent developments. Recently, the Trump administration threatened to withhold funding for states that serve as havens for undocumented immigrants (Somin, 2017). If the administration makes good this threat, the concerned state governments will be stripped of much-needed funds. This example underscores the need for the state, local and national governments to work together on policy.
The execution of policy is another area in which the three levels of government work together. Each of the three levels of government has been provided with a mandate and the authority to execute this mandate (Fairfax County Government, n.d). For example, the national government has the authority and mandate to defend the American people against domestic and foreign threats. On the other hand, the state and local governments establish police departments and other law enforcement agencies. By setting up these agencies, the state and local governments facilitate the efforts of the national government to keep the US secure. Collaboration among the different security and law enforcement agencies is the main tool that is relied on to ensure that the national, state and local governments work together on security and other policy issues. The state and local governments are best placed to attend to the needs of the local populations. For example, the provision of such documents as birth and death certificates can best be done by the local and state government. It would be very difficult for the national government to provide services that require close and intimate contact with local populations. This is why it is important for the three levels of government to work together on policy.
In conclusion, collaboration is a vital element of the complex American bureaucracy. The local, state and national governments partner on issues regarding policy to ensure that chaos and disorder do not deny Americans access to vital services. The local governments are particularly equipped and properly placed to attend to the needs of the American people. To perform this function, they need funding and authority from the state and national governments. The different levels of government need to continue joining hands in the execution of their mandate.
References
Fairfax County Government. (n.d). Retrieved 20th April 2017 from http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/federal-state-local-government-responsibilities.pdf
Somin, I. (2017). Why Trump’s Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities is Unconstitutional. Retrieved 20th April 2017 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/01/26/constitutional-problems-with-trumps-executive-order-on-sanctuary-cities/?utm_term=.339f2b1afed4
State and Local Governments. (n.d). Retrieved 20th April 2017 from http://www.ushistory.org/gov/12.asp
