PPA601 Foundations of Public Administration Week 3

Week 3 Assignment

A Strong Central Government

The United States, compared to countries like France, does not have a very strong central government. 

For example, public education in the United States is almost wholly within the domain of local government. 

In a two- to three-page paper (in addition to a title and references page), analyze the balance of power in our federal system.

Consider the following questions in a cohesive analysis: Should Washington have greater power to dictate national policy in modern times?

Should the federal government be able to override state policies?

Should the Constitution be amended to entrust greater powers to Washington DC and less power to the states? Why or why not?

In addition, assess the following:

Are state and local governments fundamentally equipped to handle the current public policy challenges of today, or do they lack the expertise to adequately address concerns and issues that may have national implications?

Your paper should be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide, and should cite at least one scholarly source in addition to the textbook.

Class Text

Cropf, R. (2008). American public administration: public service for the 21st century (1st ed.) New York, NY: Pearson Longman.