Critical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Issues - Essay Example This sorting out procedure will require following of five stipulated principles some of which include provision of funds to states with lowest capacity to raise their own revenue, consider the effects of fiscal responsibility and provision of clear separation of responsibility between the state and local government (Foundation Fiscal Partners, 1999). I was not aware that there is controversy of finances. I always assumed each state received its funding of basic projects such as education and health from the federal government and then they dealt exclusively with the delivery of the services. I also had no idea of the fat that these duties and responsibilities even though they intertwine have separation through the constitution. Smith, Greenblatt and Mariani, (2007) sheds more light by use of the constitution of the roles which should be performed by the two in regards to finances. The tenth amendment for example explains that the state carries out the most mandates in regards to the running of the state and federal government only comes in when it is mandated by the constitution. The main themes include the relationship between state and federal government and how the tenth amendment and the commerce act and even the constitution itself have tried to differentiate the duties and responsibility to no avail. There is also separation of duties of the state and local government which are slightly intertwined. The other theme discussed in the reading by Smith, Greenblatt and Mariani, (2007) is the division of labor in the state and the roles of some of the people such as governor. This also leads to the theme about the responsibilities that the state has towards the towns and counties. The controversy between the powers and laws of federal and state government have left me opting for the federal government to leave the states to run their own affairs as best as they can without interference from the federal