We will be reading about Federal and state mandates from some additional readings included in Moodle towards the end of the semester. Mandates are controversial, especially unfunded mandates usually from the Federal government to the states and local governments. Upper levels of government usually have the force, Constitutionally-granted, to make states and local governments follow the common will. This is the way that piecemeal policymaking does not impact the overall cohesiveness of the nation while protecting life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, in a federalized system of government mandates seem to be an antithesis to the parity and balance between states and the federal government. Lower levels of government are assumed to know what is best for their people and the decision-making is considered the most optimal at lower levels of government. We will explore the pros and cons of mandates in class, but for this assignment I would like you to focus on a specific mandate. You can search mandates through the Congressional Budget Office website:
https://www.cbo.gov/umra-search/law/intergovernmental
Consider the pros of this mandate. How does this help the state and its residents? How does this help neighboring states and the region and country as a whole? Also, consider the cons of this mandate. How does this hurt the state and its residents? Why does this not contribute to the wellbeing of the region or country as a whole?
The first section should be a short summary of the mandate. Describe if it is funded or not. What are the penalties for non-compliance? The second section should be on the pros of the mandate. The third section should be on the cons. The fourth and final section should be your impression of whether the pros outweigh the cons or vice versa. Each section should be a minimum of 250 words. Please cite your sources and follow the formatting established in the previous assignments.
