Daniel Elazar’s Exploring Federalism Book Review
The world consists of many countries which have unique systems of government or governance that vary from others. The system of governance or a government of a country or a region is an important aspect of the society as the government is an organ that runs the activities of the country and determines the success and development in a country or a region. Daniel Elazar is one of the most popular contemporary scholars who employ systems of governments especially the American federalism[1]. Daniel Elazar wrote his book titled Exploring Federalism which gives a broad and expansive look at federalism as a major political principle or system.
In the book, Daniel Elazar defines federalism as the need of people and polities to come together for a common purpose but they remain separate and preserve their respective integrities. Elazar says that federalism is the best political system to use when people want to achieve the most benefits out of the government as it is human nature. Through federalism, human beings or different branches of the government can be able to create a long-lasting relationship and at the same time remain separate from each other maintaining each side’s integrity. Daniel Elazar mentions that having good relationships either in a social or political institution can be achieved through establishment contractual arrangements such as covenants and compacts.
Other definitions of federalism by other scholars of political systems apart from Elazar’s definition include the following. Federalism is a system of governance that that is divided into two levels which govern the same territory which consists of a federal government and a state, regional or local government[2]. Federalism is also defined as a compound mode of governance that is made up of the mixture of the federal government or the general government with the regional or territorial government in a single political system. Finally “federalism is the intergovernmental relations as which is an important body of activities or interactions occurring between governmental units of all types and levels within the federal system[3].” Elazar’s perspective of federalism and the other scholars share one thing in common which is that this system of governance has two types of systems that share administration duties and power equally.
The perspective that Elazar has on human nature is that it is hard for individuals to establish a lasting relationship that is beneficial to all organically without a legal bind. He supports federalism as the best type of political system since it is formulated from a mutual agreement between the different levels of the government system and it is guided by the constitution. In a political system that applies federalism such as the United State of America, Canada Australia brazil among others the constitution spells out clearly how power is shared, the structure of the government, and the obligations of every agency and branch involved in the political system.
Federalism is a decentralized form of governance where the power and authority of the government are equally distributed among the different levels of the government. Unlike a centralized type of government where the power of the government only resides within one main government but in federalism government, the power and authority is equally divided among the federal and regional government[4]. Federalism is a preferred political and governance system as it ensures that each part of the government keeps the other in check as there is no monopoly or domination as it is in the centralized type of government.
I do agree with the inclusion of the scripture example in defining what federalism is all about as this example is common to most people and through it, people tend to understand how the federalism system works. Elazar related the modern type of federalism to the ancient one which is found in the bible where the Israelite tribe formulated a covenant that united the different parts of the tribe into one unit or tribe. The covenant between the unequal parties was the binding factor that guided them on who will do what and to what extent. “A written constitution which specifies the division of power and guarantees to both the central and regional governments that their allotted powers cannot be taken away[5].” The framework of the covenant allowed the unequal parties in the tribe of Israel to co-exist with each other.
The example in the bible relates to the modern federalism systems of governance. In the federalism government, it consists of two unequal parts of the government the federal and the state, regional or local government[6]. These two parts are supposed to be unequal with the federal one being the central power that runs everything in the country. But with federalism, the two types of government are made equal by spreading the powers and authority equally. The type of covenant that guides the federalism system is the constitution which spells out the role of each government their powers and the structure. The constitution is the document that guides each government on what it is support to do and its limits which enhances the coexistence and cooperation of the government.
The bible is used as a guide for humanity especially Christians and Christian based nations as it is perceived as a manual from God for his people to ensure that they lead a righteous life just as he commanded them. The United States of America is a Christian dominated nation that is perceived to be following the rules and guidelines of the bible. For this reason, then I believe Elazar was right to compare the Israelite tribe’s form of government to that of the United States. Since the federalism type of government was used in the ancient days in Israel and it was successful just as it is with the United States of America in shaping the political behavior, justice, and the coexistence of citizens it then validates the comparison.
Federalism type of government is an effective type of governance as it is evidenced in the success and development levels of the United States. The case of the United States clearly shows that a decentralized type of government works more efficiently than a centralized one. With equal sharing of power and responsibilities, it allows the government to work efficiently resulting in high levels of development. With federalism, the federal government is kept on check by the regional or the state government and vice versa which results in cooperation and effectiveness. The intergovernmental type of relationship and system comes in handy to ensure that every level of government receives equal allocations and attention.
Reference
Elazar, Daniel J. 2014. Exploring Federalism. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
[1] Elazar, Daniel J. 2014. Exploring Federalism. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
[2] Ibid
[3] Elazar, Daniel J. 2014. Exploring Federalism. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
[4] Ibid
[5] Elazar, Daniel J. 2014. Exploring Federalism. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
[6] Ibid
