Success in implementing public policies in federations requires a mixture of strategies that can range from coercion to collaboration and cooperation. Achieving performance with accountability throughout this process has proven difficult in most federations.
Moreover most of the literature has avoided the client perspective, in particular whether citizens really care about the vagaries of federal arrangements as they simply want to see the programs that affect their daily lives delivered efficiently, effectively, and accountably. You do not currently have access to this article.
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Oxford Research Encyclopedias Politics. Some constitutional scholars believe that Article V, which sets forth the amendment process, is the key to the Constitution's success.
Separation of Powers. We the People content written by Linda R. Monk, Constitutional scholar. Explore More Rights Topics. Learn More. Political Parties The Constitution does not mention political parties, yet they play an important role in U. The Amendment Process Some constitutional scholars believe that Article V, which sets forth the amendment process, is the key to the Constitution's success.
At the same time, the powers of one branch can be challenged by another branch. As one of the basic doctrines in the U. Constitution, separation of powers and a system of checks and balances contribute to a stable political situation in the United States. Under the Articles of Confederation, all of the thirteen states only had a kind of very loose connection. They were like thirteen independent countries, and could do things in their own ways.
They had their own legal systems and constitutions, made their own economic, trade, tax and even monetary policies, and seldom accepted any orders from the central government. Localism made the state congresses set barriers to goods from other states, thus trade between states could not develop. At the same time, the central government did not have any important powers to control the individual states well.
As time went by, the old system became more and more adverse to the stability and development of this young country. Many Americans viewed a number of grave problems as arising from the weakness of the Confederation. They thought the Confederation was so weak that it was in danger of falling apart under either foreign or internal pressures. They appealed for reforming the governmental structure and establishing a stronger central government. This idea was embodied in the U.
Constitution: The powers of the national government and the states were divided. The central government was specifically granted certain important powers while the power of the state governments was limited, and there were certain powers that they shared. All those powers granted to the Federal Government by the U.
Constitution are enumerated principally as powers of Congress in Article I, Section 8. These powers can be classified as either economic or military. As is known to all, economic and military power are fundamental and essential to a government. Possessing such powers, the U. Economic powers delegated to the Federal Government include the authority to levy taxes, borrow money, regulate commerce, coin money, and establish bankruptcy laws. The stipulation about commerce regulation won strongest support from big cities and centers of manufacturing industry and commerce, such as New York, Philadelphia and Boston, because they knew that the regulation of the central government would be quite helpful for the sale of their products.
Alexander Hamilton, one of the most active representatives in the Constitutional Convention, pointed out that free trade in the whole nation was very profitable for any kind of business. For example, when the local market was weakened, the markets in other states and areas of the country would support the sale of the producers, thus their business could keep developing.
Hamilton concluded that any farsighted businessman would see the power of the unity of the country, that they would find the unity of the whole nation would be much better than the separation of the thirteen states. Power to Declare War Certain military powers granted to the Federal Government involve declaring war, raising and supporting armies, regulating and maintaining navies, and calling forth the militia.
The framers of the U. Constitution regarded the military power of the Federal Government as a tool to protect the domestic interests of their country from foreign invasion. Most representatives in the Constitutional Convention had realized that when the United States broke up, it would easily become a sacrifice to its neighboring and enemy states.
They saw that other countries still threatened the security of the United States. The Great Britain was unwilling to secede from America and kept military bases in the Northwest boundary of the United States. At the same time, France blockaded some important river mouths so that it could monopolize the market, and Spain also tried to blockade the Mississippi River.
The European powers did not want the United States to develop into a powerful nation, or to share their market, neither in the United States itself nor abroad.
Constitution fully realized that a strong navy and land force could become not only a tool to protect the interests of the United States, but also a tool to force other countries to open their markets. A strong army would definitely make the European countries respect their country. Apart from the foreign troubles, the leaders of the United States had also seen the serious influences of clashes between different classes. They believed that in time of trouble, a strong army would be decisive.
They degrade under the human standard when the political situation remains steady; but when the society is in chaos, they would provide their fellow people with a great force.
The U. Constitution grants so many specific powers to the Federal Government, at the same time, lists a rather large number of things that the Federal Government is not allowed to do. Evidently, the framers were afraid that too strong a central government would easily bring about autocracy. In order to restrict the authority of the central government, the framers wanted to make it clear in the Constitution that certain powers were emphatically denied to the Federal Government.
Restrictions of the powers of the Federal Government are listed below: No exercise of powers not delegated to it by the Constitution.
No payment from the Treasury except under appropriations made by law. All duties and excises must be uniform throughout the United States. No tax or duty to be laid on articles exported from any state. No appointment of a senator or representative to any civil office which was created while he was a member of Congress or for which the amount of compensation was increased during that period.
No preferences to the ports of one state over another in regulation or tax collection. No titles of nobility to be granted by the U. No bill of attainder or ex post facto law to be passed.
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