Policy making in the federal system Research Paper

Policy making in the federal system - Research Paper Example roads and bridges), and preventing accidents. States will determine their own objectives for enhancing cargo transfers, reducing blockage, modernizing infrastructures, and ensuring safety. MAP-21 incorporates a number of conditions to cut down costs and expedite project delivery time (n.a., 2012, 1). This essay analyzes how MAP-21 raises the issue about the conflict between state (local) and federal governments, its pros and cons, its effectiveness as a policy, and its consistency with the constitutional framework of American federalism. When the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) concluded in 2009 the Congress agreed to draft another transportation proposal. The Senate successfully submitted a thoroughly drafted proposal—MAP-21. This Act was a major bipartisan program (Dilger, 2012, 1). Even though federal authority over surface transportation policy is still important, MAP-21 characterizes an extension of earlier focus of reauthorization on enlarging the state administrations’ executive power. For instance, the policy grants state governments more freedom in the utilization of federal highway support. It also grants states more freedom by increasing the projects entitled to resources reserved for non-highway associated improvements, like historic conservation, renovation of rails, and environmental protection. State governments were also given greater privilege to shift a percentage of those resources, within given conditions, to other fe deral safety and highway projects (CMAP Updates, 2012, para 4-5). However, some argue that the federal government has an obligation to make sure that federal resources are spent in the most resourceful and valuable way to advance the national objective of safeguarding the environment and boosting national economic development (Dilger, 2012, 2). They believe