Erin Norman is the Lee Family Fellow and Senior Director of Communications Strategies at State Policy Network.

The country is split on whether a strong federal government is the best way to solve our nation’s problems or if strong local government is a better path. State Policy Network has been tracking this question for the last several years and the most recent data echoes our long-term findings—just over half of voters say they prefer a strong federal government. 

However, the most recent data breaks this question down into specific issues—and a different picture emerges. A majority of voters think the federal government is best equipped to handle immigration, but no other issue garners a majority of voters’ support. On healthcare, an issue that has famously been a target for federal government improvement, roughly equal numbers of voters believe the federal and state/local levels of government would be the best level to implement changes. On challenges with distinctly local flavors such as crime and K-12 education, voters strongly prefer a state or local approach by at least a two-to-one margin. 

As expected, Democrats prefer a top-down federal approach on more issues and by a higher margin than Republicans. However, Independents largely side with Republicans, looking less to the federal government to solve problems. And even among pro-federal government Democrats, minorities think it’s the level of government most adept to handle crime and K-12 education. 

Conceptually, Americans are gravitating to the idea of a strong federal government fixing society’s problems. But when it comes to individual issues, they retain the uniquely local approach of American government. The federal government may be best suited to address certain challenges, but we must remember that state and local governments have an outsized ability to make a positive difference in people’s lives. And we must give them the chance to do it.