Free «Florida Politics: The Most Influential Arm of Government» Essay Sample
The Florida political scenario is one of the most uniquely positioned in the country. This is because of the direct and indirect influence of external parties in the decision making process that has direct impact on the people. Such parties include the Disneyland which plays a major role in the social economical and even political aspects of Florida (Foglesong, 2001). Florida has traditionally favored and elected Democratic Party oriented candidates when it comes to politics but some Republicans have made an impact too from time to time. Speaking of politics the state has the political makeup composed of legislature, judiciary, executive and the county government. Amongst these four bodies it is in opinion that the executive has the most political power because of the ability to amend and re- structure issues while the county government has the most direct impact on the population, this study will focus on these.
Political power is relative but the aspect that makes one individual or organization to be more powerful than the other is the ability to influence the decision making process and outcome. The executive in the state has the most political power because of its decision to customize the bills that the legislature may make to suit the well being of the county. In addition to that the governor has the power over the budget and planning, a strong influence on the courts, the powers of appointment and the ultimate veto power to overturn rulings that he sees fit. The individual in the position of the governor has a strong political influence and cannot be easily impeached unless with valid and clear reasons are established by a tribunal.
In the state of Florida, the governor who is part of the executive can order the removal of any municipal officer who is indicted or commits an offence that contradicts the set regulations. In addition to that the governor can pardon individuals with a mere approval of the cabinet, restore civil rights and remit fines.
On the other hand the cabinet which works hand with the governor also wields a considerable amount of political powers that influence the way of life in the state. It has several functions majorly being approval of what the governor does and oversees the decision he makes. They consist of the attorney general, the financial officer and other commissioners. It has functions that govern all aspects of livelihood I the state such as agriculture, legal matters, security, the aspect of business and even taxation.
One example that shows the power of the executive is the allocation of the 27000 acres to Disney land by the approval of the cabinet who have come under fierce criticism by analysts and scholars like Foglesong (2001). It is clear that the systems and the structures of the state executive have the most influence politically. However, the impact of the social and everyday life of the citizenry is with no doubt affected by the local county government.
The local government can be said to manage day to day affairs that the general citizenry are involved in. they deal with aspects of tax collections, security property, elections and so on. These structures are split into thirteen subsections called counties which are political subdivisions made I such a manner that governance and resources are brought and managed near the citizens. In addition to that the municipal areas are also political arrangements that are made and scrapped of by law. However, there has been a big debate on the existence of the controversial Disney that has its own system of working complete with a sheriff and its own security and immunity from by laws. As Colburn & Lance (2001) puts it, the powers and privileges given to Disney are massive and can be said to have been abused.
One aspect that the local government has on the general country is on education. As a matter of fact there exists an office of the superintendent of education who works hand in hand with the elected school board to manage the education section. The facilities and the curriculum this nationwide are customized for the student and education system of the county through the approval of the local government.
The other sensitive issue that has an impact on the local businesses and the social setting is the local taxation. The individuals and other business ventures pay duty through an agreed mode of deduction which is changed from time to time. However, there is no taxation directly on the real estates and so on.
These two branches of governance compositions have the most influence on the people both socially and politically because of the position they take in the society. With the establishment of the county and municipal bodies it is easier to govern the people and sufficiently allocate the resources to the people on the ground.
The court system and the legislature on the other hand, have a considerable influence on the people of Florida but it is clear that those laws and provisions made cannot be complete if there is no direct influence from the local government and the cabinet. This is so because each state has its own unique setting that makes it different from the rest.
In conclusion, the executive has the most political power because it intertwines all the other branches of government. On the other hand, the local government poses the greatest impact on the people because of the service it delivers. Ultimately the state of Florida can be said to be the most uniquely placed in terns if governance.