The US government operates in three levels. The local, state and federal governments are the levels. All these are provided for in the US constitution. The levels are separated by the powers each has and the jurisdiction. The federal government has jurisdiction over the fifty states, five territories and one district. The federal government is led by the president, whereas the states have governors as the heads of state.

In many cases, the different levels operate smoothly, but sometimes there are power struggles between the federal and the state governments. The president heads the executive arm of the federal government that has fifteen departments. The legislative body of the federal government is the Congress and the Supreme Court heads its judicial system (Constitution.laws.com, 2015).

On the other hand is the state government. It has the mandate to govern a state. Each of the states has a governor as the head of government. He is elected by the people. Most of the states have a bicameral parliament with an upper house and a lower house. In most cases also, the executive is plural where the high most office holders are elected just like the governor such as the commissioner of education (Swisher & Schwartz, 2003).

The one thing I would change about the operation of the US government is the monetary system, starting primarily with the tax system. Every American pays taxes at all levels of government. It is the single main revenue earner for the governments. I think the taxing system is one aspect that rolls in the mind of every American on a daily basis. It is like walking and thinking tax all the time. It is one crime or offence an American doesn’t want to be caught up in.

The US tax system is by all definitions complex. There are taxes at both levels of government. The taxing system is progressive, where you pay more if you earn more (Evans & Kenward, 1988). Critics of the system argue that the system is discriminatory in the sense that it places more burdens on low income earners. The system is also said to penalize people more for their hard work.

In bringing some change to the taxing system, I would go for the flat system of taxing. The system taxes everyone equally regardless of their income and thus can be considerate and less punitive. This would be more acceptable among the Americans, specifically me and it would be great for the free market definition of the American economy. The levels of government must come together and see how to reduce the burden of taxes on the citizens.

In looking at free markets and how it has lost meaning and should be refocused. Free market dictates that that forces of demand and supply sets the prices of goods and services without government intervention (Evans & Kenward, 1988). On that note, America has always described its economy as a free market economy. However, this has been argued differently in different quarters and the economy accused of being not as free as it ought to be. The ideology of a free market economy is accused of condoning the vices of socialism and interventionism and leaving many in poverty, thus showing no freedom.

There is thus much that can be changed about the American monetary system. It would probably even reduce the debt that Americans have been plunged into. The debt has accumulated to the excess of 18.5 trillion dollars (Patton, 2015). This places a heavy burden on every citizen for debt reduction and repayment.

Different people would look to change different things about the way the US government operates. It keeps everyone on the toes. It is a choking democracy at times. The security personnel are all over including at the doorstep of everyone. Sometimes people need more space than the government offers. Sometimes I see the government as overprotective at all levels and too much concerned.

The government loves the citizens; they take up the responsibility of securing everyone and ensuring they are leading a good life. Human nature is adventurous. The people want to have a few exchanges with the government; they want a life out of the financial and security cage. The government almost absolutely takes none of that.

The daily life of Americans is surrounded by utility bills. The concern by the government on simple issues like penalties on a missed date and such takes away the thrill of life. However, issues like traffic concern makes the United States some sort of haven on the road. The execution of operations is splendid and the reason why traffic snarl ups are a thing of the past in the smooth highways of the nation.

The power struggle between states and the federal government remain a big challenge for the Americans. If this can be eliminated, clear power guideline be founded on a clear strategy of power shares and roles division, then the smooth operations would be envied by many states. However, the US government is stable as any country would desire to be.

References

Constitution.laws.com,. (2015). Federal Versus State Power – constitution | Laws.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015, from http://constitution.laws.com/supreme-court-criticisms/federal-versus-state-power

Evans, O., & Kenward, L. (1988). Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Reform in the United States. Staff Papers – International Monetary Fund, 35(1), 141. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3867280

Patton, M. (2015). Forbes Welcome. Forbes.com. Retrieved 1 December 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/

Swisher, C., & Schwartz, B. (2003). The Powers of Government: Federal and State Powers: The Powers of the President. Political Science Quarterly, 79(1), 120. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2146582

 
Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?