Just the way you are

A majority of democracies around the world have a unitary system of government, wherein power is centered around the national government. In federalism, there is a written constitution which formulates this power sharing arrangement between the state and its units. These units, referred to as the provincial or regional governments, have the power to act independently in certain areas of governance. In the United States too, the power is shared between the national and regional or state governments. The local governments have exclusive powers to issue licenses, provide for public health, conduct elections and form local governments, look after the intrastate trade, etc. This political system was adopted to ensure greater safety and autonomy against internal and external threats.

At present, federalism is being followed not only in First World countries like USA, Australia and Canada but also in developing countries like Mexico, India and Brazil. Contemplating a change in the governing set up of the nation, some countries like Sri Lanka and Philippines are intently scrutinizing its advantages and disadvantages. In today's changed environment though it does make sense to question the pros and cons of the following the federal system of governance.

Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-federalism.html

Localized Governance
Every province has political, social and economic problems peculiar to the region itself. Provincial government representatives live in proximity to the people and are most of the time from the same community, so that they are in a better position to understand these problems and offer unique solutions for them. For example, traffic congestion in Oahu, Hawaii is a problem that can be best solved by the local government, keeping local factors in mind, rather than by somebody living in New York.

Local Representation
Federalism offers representation to different populations. Citizens of various