Federalism: advantages and disadvantages

Readers may be aware that America operates a federal system where national and state governments are theoretically sovereign in certain spheres.  In practical terms this vertical separation of power is much more blurred, but it does mean that individual states have much more individual responsibility for policy within their territories than do the devolved regions in the UK.  The consequences of allowing states to essentially go it alone are mixed.  A magazine article in today’s Observer looks at the current crisis in California.  It is interesting, well written and contains lots of good examples for someone wishing to assess the pros and cons of America’s federal arrangements.