The opposite of a centralized government, a decentralized
government is a government whose power is spread out and is not restricted to a
central place. Decentralization is synonymous with devolution, transference,
delegation, and transfer. Decentralization is prominent in curtailing the
powers of government and enhancing the powers of individual representatives. A
decentralized government is closer to the people than a centralized government
that is far from people’s reach. A decentralized government can be held
accountable for its misdeeds; its successes and failures can be documented and
if possible challenged by the citizens it serves. One very important aspect of
a decentralized government is that it gives the ordinary citizen the right to
vote on the right kind of public service that is open for consumption by the
public. In a centralized government such freedom is not available to the
citizen.
Decentralization of power allows the locals to question when
something is wrong with the government. Lower levels of government become
easily manageable with decentralization. Decentralization gives the local
government the power and will to provide public goods and services that serve
the common good. With a federal system, there are checks and balances, and chain
of command. Because citizens have no access to the upper levels of government,
through decentralized power, arrangements can be made for the lower government to
have consultations with the upper echelons of the state. In a decentralized
government, the lower level of government is allowed to make arrangements for
training new officials. Voting is a vital and significant tool in a federal
system.
Problems emanating from maladministration by a decentralized
government can be averted when states object to the use of wrong policy
implementations. When one state fails to implement a policy, other states may
opt not to use that same policy for fear of also failing. Decentralization and
federalism go hand in hand in rigid democracies. A strong and vibrant local
government is possible when there is a real democracy. In federalism and
decentralism, power sharing is vertical with multi-layered governments enjoying
autonomous rule that is free from the central government in some aspects.
According to Hyman (2011), politicians seeking office are
usually driven by the urge for power, personal financial returns after vacating
office, the desire to serve the public, and prestige coming as a result of
holding a high office. The redistribution of income becomes the prerogative of
the various sectors that make up the decentralized government. The federal,
state, and local governments each have their roles to play in a decentralized
system. When the federal government oversees the national security, the role of
the state is to provide good roads and reliable bridges, while the local
government provides fire and police protection. Leaving the provision of goods
and services to the federal government would make life unbearable for the
ordinary citizen as many goods and services would be distributed inequitably
and inefficiently.
References
Hyman, DN. (2011). Public finance: A contemporary application of theory to policy (10th
ed.). Mason , OH
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