Does Competition in Government Work

Reply to Leonard and Joseph: Tom Dye American Federalism

Leonard

Is the race to the bottom risk a legitimate concern in Tom Dye’s model? The race to the bottom risk is the proposition that companies will attempt to move their operations to jurisdictions with lower environmental and social standards in order to reduce costs. This race to the bottom can lead to a downward spiral in environmental and social standards, as companies vie for a competitive advantage.

But In Tom Dye’s American Federalism model, the race to the bottom risk is mitigated by the presence of strong environmental and social regulations at the federal level (Gerlak et al., 2020; Hong et al., 2019). These federal regulations provide a floor below which companies cannot go in their efforts to reduce costs. As a result, the race to the bottom risk is not as great a concern in Tom Dye’s American Federalism model as it is in other models of federalism.

That said, I do think that federal regulation is not the ideal to be depended on, because the nation was really founded on the idea that the states should be calling most of the shots in their respective boundaries. So people might push back against federal regulation—and then perhaps there would be a real race to the bottom. But in my opinion, we need to weigh the pros and cons: no system or model is going to be perfect. So what are we really trying to achieve. If it is independence and a free market type of competition, then I would say Dye’s model makes the most sense. And in the end, we need to be like what is recommended of us in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Only then can our society flourish—and flourish it will if we just apply the Christian model.

References

Gerlak, A. K., Saguier, M., Mills-Novoa, M., Fearnside, P. M., & Albrecht, T. R. (2020).

Dams, Chinese investments, and EIAs: A race to the bottom in South America?. Ambio, 49(1), 156-164.

Hong, T., Yu, N., & Mao, Z. (2019). Does environment centralization prevent local

governments from racing to the bottom?--Evidence from China. Journal of cleaner production, 231, 649-659.

Joseph

I like the idea of competition in government, as I think it reflects the way the market should be—open, free, and competitive. In fact, the idea of competition is central to the American way of life. We are a nation of entrepreneurs, and the free market is often held up as the model for how our society should function. This competitive spirit also extends to our politics, where elections are seen as a chance for voters to choose the best candidate to represent their interests. I believe that this competitive instinct is a good thing, as it encourages innovation and discourages complacency.

However, it is important to ensure that competition does not degenerate into dysfunction. Too much competition can lead to gridlock and infighting or, worse, lead to people taking advantage of others and seeking out monopolies so that they can dominate the field all for themselves. It often feels that this is what government does—but government is meant to serve the people—and not the people the government. In some countries, things get so dysfunctional, making it difficult for government to get anything done, that everything breaks down. We could actually see that happening in the US before too long, I fear. Therefore, it is essential to strike a balance between competition and cooperation in order to create an effective government (Kim, 2021; Skarica, 2019).

Any government, whether it be a monarchy, oligarchy, or democracy, must find a way to balance the competing interests of its citizens in order to function properly. Too much competition will lead to chaos and disorder, while too much cooperation will allow small groups to wield too much power. The key is to find a way for different factions to work together towards common goals while still allowing for a healthy degree of competition. But one last important consideration—as Scripture states: “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthinans 13:3).