Summary Of Andrew Karch's Laboratories Of Democracy
678 Words3 Pages
Andrew Karch says in his book Laboratories of Democracy that it is not the federal government making big changes to policy but instead the states that create the policy of the country. Yet how does state policy affect the Nation? Karch answers this by saying the state the state's new innovative ways of policy making and stronger state government make for some of the best laboratories of democracy and strengthen the nation. For instance, developments in state legislature, devolution in government, and technological advances have all made the United States’s federalism flourish. When state governments were granted more policy making powers in the early 1970’s, it was just the beginning of a new age of constructive policy reform. Karch says, and I agree, that improvement in state governments is a key component to the science behind the laboratories of democracy. Between the 1960’s and 80’s, constitutional reforms have enhanced the state legislatures and executive branches to be well equipped to design innovative public policies. State resources have also improved greatly. Public officials have access to much more information this day in age and can shape their policy around it better. Also, in some instances state…show more content… Richard Nixon and republicans from the 1970’s to present day have been the founding fathers of New Federalism and harbingers of devolution. They have been working to give the states more power to make them the authoritative decision makers of the United States. The believed devolution was a way to solve administrative problems and cut back on the reach of government programs. Devolution also allows for policy by the states to be fitted to the states One example is the 1996 welfare reforms that granted states the power to control welfare to fit their state. Evidently, devolution is a large part of making the laboratories of