Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Systems Essay

Around the world, each country has their own way of running things and their own government system. In this essay I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of 3 government systems; unitary, confederate, and federal. Although some government systems might have similarities with the others, they are all very different and have different problems. A unitary state is sovereign and governed as a single unit where the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions only have the power that the central government allows them to have. One advantage of the unitary form of government is it’s a small government with less people so less tax dollars are used to pay government workers and more tax dollars go to the government. Another advantage is there is fewer conflicts between national and local governments. Some disadvantages of a unitary form of government are; there is slow government response because of being such a small government and having so little resources and people. Another is again related to the size of the government, since it’s so small, all the people work together on issues in the state being governed so it’s easy for them to lose track of smaller, local issues. A confederate government is a form of government where a union of free states creates a central government with limited power. The members of these states have supreme influence over all problems except those few that have been specifically delegated to the central government. An advantage of a confederate form of government is local governments are better suited to help citizens and government response is rather quick on a small scale. Another advantage is confederacies minimize the growth of a central government, which makes it much easier to focus on local issues, and the citizens needs. A disadvantage of a confederate government is the national government is weak and they often have trouble fighting wars or keeping a stable economy. Another disadvantage of this form of government is there is a lack of unity and common laws leading to misunderstandings and unrest. A federal government is a government in which powers and responsibilities are divided into national levels to address national and regional needs.  Power is shared by a strong central government and states that are given significant self-rule. An advantage of a federal government system is federal unity. Local governments handle their local problems and the national government handles national problems. Also, there are many opportunities for citizens to participate in decision making relating to government choices. Some disadvantages are citizens living in different parts of the country could be treated differently in the area of law enforcement pertaining to different laws punishments in different states and programs such as welfare where individuals could make more or less depending on certain expenses in their area. It is important that we have an equal understanding of our government policies and the way our government is run. We should know how much voice we have when it comes to government decisions and formations of laws and such. Know the differences in government systems so you’re not left out when it comes to certain matters.