I feel that the federal government should definitely play a significant role in regulating the states. While in some instances, federalism overreaches a bit, I think those consequences are much less severe than those that would result from lack of regulation. I know that federalism as it exists right now is far from a perfect system, but without it, America would be less efficient and more dangerous.
The examples outlined in the Huffington Post article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-whitehead/the-tyranny-of-the-nanny-_b_5669433.html) about the mothers unreasonably arrested because the government regarded their actions as child neglect are outliers. Yes, if you don’t have the money for a babysitter and have to work to support your family, you can fall victim to federalism, and that’s not fair. The system can certainly be improved, and needs to better support those who struggle to meet its standards. However, the majority of what federalism promotes is beneficial in my opinion.
As far as environmental, health, and educational systems go, everyone else in a country can be affected by the actions of just a few. If each state had their own environmental standards, they could unwittingly be polluting the entire world beyond repair. For the soda restrictions outlined in the Huffington Post article, taxpayer money is used to pay for obesity and onset diabetes treatment, which is why promoting healthier choices would be in everyone’s best interests. For educational systems, federal regulations hold everyone accountable to educating our youth to grow into productive members of society.
The examples outlined in the Huffington Post article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-whitehead/the-tyranny-of-the-nanny-_b_5669433.html) about the mothers unreasonably arrested because the government regarded their actions as child neglect are outliers. Yes, if you don’t have the money for a babysitter and have to work to support your family, you can fall victim to federalism, and that’s not fair. The system can certainly be improved, and needs to better support those who struggle to meet its standards. However, the majority of what federalism promotes is beneficial in my opinion.
As far as environmental, health, and educational systems go, everyone else in a country can be affected by the actions of just a few. If each state had their own environmental standards, they could unwittingly be polluting the entire world beyond repair. For the soda restrictions outlined in the Huffington Post article, taxpayer money is used to pay for obesity and onset diabetes treatment, which is why promoting healthier choices would be in everyone’s best interests. For educational systems, federal regulations hold everyone accountable to educating our youth to grow into productive members of society.