Federalism is one way that governments choose to solve the problem of
             governing large populations and/or diverse cultures. Federalism works by
             dividing its authority and responsibility, as opposed to a unitary
             government, in which the central government controls everything. Examples
             of federalism operating successfully include the United States,
             One advantage of federalism is that by allowing the central government
             to delegate many government functions to states or provinces, it has more
             time to focus on world issues and policies. With such a system in place,
             the state governments can focus on local responsibilities, which works
             better because state and local representatives are closer to the issues and
             problems that affect their population. In addition, it is impractical for
             a national government to assume it can have one central location; the
             government can not cover large areas of geography nor can it keep up with
             population growth. As a result, federalism brings the government closer to
             the people because the people have easier access to local officials and
             they also have a greater influence on how local governments govern.
             Disadvantages of a federal system include the division among
             subcultures. When individuals of the same mind become concentrated in one
             area, problems erupt that demand intervention from the federal government.
             For example, the South generated a strong subculture, which lead to the
             Civil War. In addition, a single party can sometimes dominate local
             governments, they seem to block progress at times, and they are more open
             to corruption. (73) While certainly local governments have the potential
             to become corrupt and dominating, the advantages and results gained from
             using federalism as a means of governing prove to be the most successful.
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