Federal Government Expansion of Authority Essays

Federal Government Expansion of Authority Essays Federal Government Expansion of Authority Paper Federal Government Expansion of Authority Paper Essay Topic: Leviathan Introduction The role of the institution has grown tremendously over the centuries ever since the founders of the United States desired a Federal Government with limited powers whose aim was primarily concerned with promoting the civil liberty of the Americans. According to Savage (2008), during the reign of George Washington, the federal bureaucracy had only three cabinet departments; however, the federal government has since grown not only to more than eight cabinet departments, but also with other numerous bureaus, agencies, government authorities, administrations, and corporations. Between the periods of independence and the civil war, the federal government performed limited duties with regards to the daily lives of the American people. During these early decades of our nationhood, the state, and local governments were known to exercise more autonomy and were more prominent in the daily lives of American people than they are today. The decline in the autonomy and prominence of the state and local government has been due to the progressive and rapid expansion of the federal government over the centuries. The expansion of the Federal Government is particularly clearly in the events surrounding the ‘Civil war, Reconstruction, the Progressive Era, the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights era’. As this paper will demonstrate, the expansion of the Federal Authority was unprecedented but has been continuously prompted by the increasing need to guarantee economic and social welfare apart from promoting civil liberty of the citizens. One of the single most important events that marked the beginning of the expansion of the federal government over the local and state government was the Civil War. It is important to note that the declaration of the Civil war was made by President Abraham Lincoln against the constitutional requirement that a formal declaration be sanctioned by Congress. Prompted by the urgency to stop the Confederate offensives at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, the president went beyond his powers to sanction a war in order to protect his people and stop the impending crisis (Hummel, 1996). : Having seen the impeding crisis (as he later told Congress), President Lincoln dramatically expanded the Union’s navy and army, blockaded the Southern ports, spent money without Congress’ appropriation, and arrested Northerners considered sympathizers of the Confederate (Savage, 2008). All these powers were far beyond what was stipulated in the constitution as far as presidential powers were concerned. Being aware of his excesses, the President justified his actions by arguing that he acted to protect the political, social, and economic sovereignty of the Union that was under threat of the Confederate government. Thus, he asked the congress to retroactively sanction his actions which Congress did (Hummel, 1996). Although, the overriding motive of the war was to protect the Union and to incorporate the southerners into the Union (Hummel, 1996), the actions of the President marked the beginning of the expansion of the federal authority as was seen later in subsequent governments. The Civil War was also important in a number of ways as far as expansion of the federal authority was concerned. For instance, it was after the civil war that the growth of interest groups within the federal government was seen According to Hummel (1996), the Civil War not only brought new and more powers to the U. S. Federal Government, but also laid the foundation for the increased rise and influence of the interest groups in the national politics. Hummel (1996) notes that war veterans were the first interest group to benefit from the increased powers of the Federal Government. The group systematically raided the U. S. Treasury with the help of the Federal Government officials. Originally, only those veterans that had been injured in wars were paid pension dues by the Union and were required to claim their benefits within five years. For instance, the veterans’ total pay amounted to $286 million in 1870 which should not have been paid. However, by 1890, the total amount had risen to more than $1,500 million and since the Republicans dominated the Federal Government and looked to this group for political support, the pension laws were greatly liberalized so as to include Union veterans who participated in the Civil War (Holcombe, 1996). From this point on, the influence of the interest groups has been great within the political circles of the occupants of the white house. Another example of the increasing expansion of the Federal Government was evident in the passage of the Antitrust Act. Prior to the enactment of the Antitrust Laws in 1890, the Federal Government had created the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887 that was supposed to curtail the autonomy of the local and state governments in supervising businesses (Holcombe, 1996). While these two laws were important in the Federal Government’s increased involvement in the daily lives of the American people, perhaps it was Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 that clearly demonstrated the increasing expansion of the federal authority in an unprecedented way. The enactment of the Antitrust Act was prompted by the need to protect the public from the exploitation of businesses and business owners. In other words, through the Antitrust Act, the Federal Government hoped that it would limit the economic powers enjoyed by businesses. While the enforcement of the laws may have taken a little longer (Holcombe, 1996), the passage of the law in itself was a pointer that the Federal Government was keen on increasing its authority on various sectors of our lives. In the first two decades, after the passage of the Antitrust Act, only 61 cases related to violation of the antitrust laws were heard. However, increased enforcement in subsequent decades saw an increase in the number of cases brought forward. For instance, more than 130 cases were heard between 1910 and 1919 while about 125 were reported in the following decade. The decrease in the number of reported cases in 1920s was as a result of increased enforcement by the Federal Government and prompted most business to be more cautious (Holcombe, 1996). According to Higgs (1987), the Federal Government increased the scope of the antitrust laws in the 1920s which resulted into more cases that were previously not considered as violation of the law. Through this increased expansion of the antitrust laws and enforcement, the Federal Government was able to expand its authority over businesses as well as its prominence in the daily lives of the American people. After the configuration of the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887 and the ratification of the Sherman Antitrust Act during 1890, the expansion of the federal authority continued at the turn of the century immediately at the beginning of the Progressive era. The Federal Government’s resolve to increase its foothold on social and economic welfare of its citizen did not stop but continued into the new era. For instance, during the Progressive era, the Federal Government oversaw the configuration of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during 1906 and subsequently, the creation of the Federal Reserve and the Federal Trade Commission in 1913 and 1914 respectively (McDonald, 1994). With these landmark developments, the Federal government was intent on not only protect the individual rights as was envisaged by the founders, but also keen on looking after the economic and social welfare of the American people. This was more evident in the second phase of the progressive era following the interruption of World War I. The growth of the federal authority was exponential in the last years of the progressive era. For instance, after the nationalization of the railroads as well as regulation of the waterborne shipping, the Federal Government created more agencies and department to protect the social and economic sectors of its citizens (Holcombe, 1996). This was more demonstrated by the formation of the U. S. Food Administration in 1917, which was tasked with regulating the food industry including agriculture, production, distribution, and sale foods in the United States. Similar controls were extended to fuel production, distribution and sale and later to the entire economy (Higgs, 1987). The discussion of progressive era is not complete without mentioning the changes in the political landscape during the era. The Progressive era saw the introduction of women suffrage and direct election of US senators. It was during this era that the Federal Government alongside other organizations who expanded the freedom in political participation in the United States. While it can be argued that most of the changes during the Progressive Era, especially in the political sector, could have been as a result of the progressive movements, the successful implementation of these changes was due to the willingness of the Federal Government to increase its power and influence on the daily lives of its people. Perhaps the most important event that demonstrated the resolve of the Federal Government to continue expanding its powers and authority was the Great Depression of early 1930s. Driven by the unprecedented economic crisis, President Franklin Roosevelt created a number of agencies under the New Deal. While some of these agencies did not last long enough, a good number has remained to date and continue to influence the daily lives of the American people (McDonald, 1994). Some of these agencies include: the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). It is worth noting that it was out of the programs of these agencies that the concept of the welfare state was born (McDonald, 1994). Under the concept, the Federal Government assumed the main role of looking after the well-being of the American people. Prior to this development, the local and state authorities played the major role of promoting the social and economic welfare of the people. It was after the great depression that the Federal Government underwent a considerable expansion and reorganization. The New Deal was initiated by President Roosevelt’s administration in response to the lasting impact of 1929 Great Depression (Savage, 2008). Supported by Congress, the legislation was significant in the continued expansion of the Federal Government. For instance, the New Deal took away powers that were until now exercised by the local and state governments and gave them to the agencies under the supervision of the Federal Government. The agencies were also immune from the Congressional oversight (McDonald, 1994). This single piece of legislation was important in strengthening the Federal Government’s foothold on controlling the affairs of the citizens. Significantly, the undertones of the New Deal were replicated in the subsequent administrations and the expansion continued through reorganization of the responsibilities of the Federal Government over its people. The ideas sowed during the New Deal but were later seen in the 1960s during the reign of President Lyndon Johnson. Using the New Deal’s ideals, President Johnson coined the term Great Society under which new agencies and programs were created to improve the welfare state. For example, he started the Head Start, the Office of Economic Opportunity, Medicare and Job Corps programs. Like the New Deal’s programs, some of the programs that were created in the 1960s have become part of the bureaucracy of the Federal Government (Higgs, 1987). It is also important to note that the ideas of the New Deal on the role of the Federal Government in providing for the needs of its people continued even after the 1960s as was evident in the President Nixon’s administration (McDonald, 1994). Conclusion There is no doubt that the Unites States Federal Government has undergone through expansion and reorganization over the centuries and decades since it was formed by our founding fathers. Today, the Federal Government has been responsible for protecting the civil liberties of its citizens as was envisioned by the founders and expanding its roles to include seeing into the needs of the American people. Most of the expanded roles and responsibilities enjoyed today by the current administrations are owed to the vigorous initiatives and programs adopted by the Federal Governments in the 19th and 20th centuries. This expansion and reorganization of roles and responsibility have been prompted by particular events in the history of our nation. Additionally, in order to show responsible leadership, the incumbents of the White House have always gone beyond their mandates and prerogatives to steer the country out of one crisis after another. It is therefore important to note that while the expansion of the Federal Government has always come at the expense of the autonomy and prominence of the local and state governments, the Federal Government has always acted to fill the void created by the failures of the local and state governments. Hence, the Federal Government has contributed largely and has revolutionized considerably the lives of the American people. References Higgs, R. (1987). Crisis and Leviathan: Critical episodes in the growth of American government. New York: Oxford University Press. Holcombe, R. G. (1996). The Growth of the Federal Government in the 1920s. Cato Journal, 16 (2), 175-199. Hummel, J. R. (1996). Emancipating slaves, enslaving free men: A history of the American Civil War. Chicago: Open Court Press. McDonald, F. (1994). The American presidency. Kansas: University Press of Kansas. Savage, C. (2008). Takeover: The return of the imperial presidency and the subversion of American democracy. Boston: Back Bay Books.

Aos Belonging

In particular, the poems In the Folk Museum, and 10 Mary Street articulates his internal struggles during his teenage years. In David Malouf’s An Imaginary Life (1978), Ovid, a Roman poet during the height of Augustan Rome is indefinitely exiled to the â€Å"barbaric† lands of Tomis. Coming from a highly cultured and ‘civilised’ background, Ovid experiences alienation largely due to his prejudices of the â€Å"savage† tribe’s people. Throughout In the Folk Museum, Skrzynecki conveys an atmosphere of detachment from the relics inside the museum. Skrzynecki lists the relics in the museum; by using accumulation, â€Å"Hay knife, draining plough, shoulder yoke, box iron† Skrzynecki indicates the extent of his disengagement. Listing the objects evokes a monotonous tone and gives the sense that Skrzynecki sees them as lifeless objects â€Å"which isn’t [his]†. Moreover, the listing also depersonalises the objects reflecting a depersonalisation of his Australian heritage. In Skrzynecki’s 10 Mary Street, the â€Å"still too narrow bridge† is symbolic of his fractured identity which presents the greatest barrier to his sense of belonging. Every morning, Skrzynecki â€Å"hides the key (to the house)/ under a rusty bucket† before school. This action of hiding the key is metaphorical for him locking away his Polish identity before going to school. The use of anaphora â€Å"for nineteen years†, further emphasises the length of time has kep the two faction of his identity separate. On a superficial level, his sense of alienation is no more than a product of his Polish upbringing which isolates him from his surroundings. However, in The Folk Museum, a more nuanced cause of his ambivalence is portrayed in the poem. As Skrzynecki approaches the end of his tour, â€Å"the wind taps hurriedly on the roof and walls†. The use of pathetic fallacy â€Å"the wind† conveys a subconscious reluctance to recognise Australian heritage as part of his identity. Furthermore, as he leaves the museum â€Å"without wanting a final look†, the museum curator touches Skrzynecki hand, â€Å"the old woman’s hand/Touches mine†. The use of enjambment leaves a truncated â€Å"touches mine† thus emphasising a sudden realisation. Like a haunting thought, the woman’s hand reminds Skrzynecki that the museum, a metaphor for his Australian heritage can never be entirely dissociated with his identity. The curator’s hand is a parallel to the lone tree motif, a symbol of his Polish heritage, in Postcard which whispers â€Å"we will meet/before you die†. These techniques represent his internal conflict; he is not at peace with his identity and his sense of self is fractured. This internal conflict is what causes his inability to belong or associate with the museum and his Australian heritage. In Malouf’s, An Imaginary Life, the greatest challenge to Ovid’s sense of belonging is again his internal conflict with his identity. Exiled from Rome, the epicentre of the civilised world, he finds that his former identity as a Roman poet invalidated and meaningless as he feels alienated by the â€Å"savage† environment. The use of rhetorical questions, â€Å"Am I still known? †¦ Have I survived? † evokes thoughts on the meaning of his existence. Malouf uses Ovid’s first hunt in part one to demonstrate his internal conflict. The hunt is significant in many tribal cultures and is symbolic of initiation and acceptance into the community. Ovid is welcomed by the old man who â€Å"greets [him] with a handclasp†. This particular use of tactile imagery signifies warmth and invitation; Ovid is being whole-heartedly welcomed into the tribal hunt. However, Ovid does not feel a sense of belonging. Instead, he feels internally conflicted. Continuous repetition of â€Å"I am Roman† interjected in the stream of consciousness conveys his unwillingness to identify himself with the tribe’s people. Exhilarated by the hunt yet reluctant to connect, Ovid conveys how his inability to reconcile with identity proves a significant barrier to belonging. In Skrzynecki’s 10 Mary Street, Skrzynecki shows that by engaging with his surroundings, a better sense of identity may be achieved. The house on 10 Mary Street, Skrzynecki’s childhood home, is a metaphor for his Polish heritage and identity. It is a place where Skrzynecki feels he can explore his Polish identity to gain a better sense of belonging. In the backyard of the house, Skrzynecki â€Å"ravaged the garden, like a hungry bird†. The use of simile highlights an instinctive sense of connection and nurturing he has with the garden; he is free to indulge himself in his surroundings. This engagement leads to him gaining a better sense of belonging. The detailed allusions to Polish cuisine, â€Å"Kielbasa, salt herrings, and rye bread, drank vodka or cherry brandy†, reveals a sense of connection he has with his Polish identity. Gustatory imagery not only creates a sense of warmth and nurturing but serves as a powerful indicator of his adherence to his Polish identity. This indicates that through engagement, he feels a better sense of identity and belonging. However, his sense of belonging only exists inside the microcosm of his home. The use of vivid and violent imagery such as referring to the factory as â€Å"always burning down†, the block being â€Å"gazetted for industry† suggests he does not draw his identity from it, that he does not belong to it. This demonstrates that a lack of engagement with his external surroundings cause him to feel alienated. Likewise, in Malouf’s An Imaginary Life, Ovid’s internal struggle to let go of the past and his prejudices present challenges to attaining a sense of belonging. â€Å"I am dead, I am relegated to the region of silence† Ovid initially states. A deeply introspective character, Ovid constantly reflects his mental state. The use of anaphora â€Å"I am† characterises a degree of self-absorption. It is this unwillingness to engage with the outside world that is responsible for Ovid’s sense of alienation. As the novella progresses, Ovid begins to recognise that he needs to shed these prejudices to achieve a sense of belonging. Ovid summarises that â€Å"(he) had to enter silence to find the password from my own life. † Silence is a motif used throughout the text to signify Tomis and his isolation from his Latin tongue. In contrast â€Å"password†, a word which suggests speech and sound is juxtaposed with â€Å"silence†. This emphasises the need for him to engage with his surroundings in order to be at peace with his identity. This idea is supported by the foil character; the Child, who is an animus for Ovid’s prejudicial attitudes. Interacting with the boy, Ovid â€Å"†¦ find[s] [him]self more and more often slipping back into [his] childhood†. Ovid explains that through his interaction with the wild boy, he learns to let go and free himself from the prejudices. The choice of diction, â€Å"slipping back† has subtly connotes an internal resolution and that his sense of serenity is found within himself. Malouf suggests a sense of belonging can only be achieved through introspection and resolution of internal struggles. Ultimately, belonging is rarely affected by external forces. It is a realisation of one’s identity that is crucial to bring about a sense of belonging. Although Skrzynecki, unlike Malouf’s character Ovid, does not appear to reconcile his fractured identity, both writers illustrate the importance of inner peace in the pursuit to belong.

Urban Design Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Urban Design - Term Paper Example Any such construction work should be in sync with the natural environment. Whyte supported the Cluster-Zoning concept, lately referred to as planned unit development. The idea was to secure more open landscape by constructing houses in comparatively limited spaces. Under the fifth planning principle, it was decided to zero-in the region where natural ecology needed to be secured. The purpose was to carry out developmental work only in such areas that would not result in the long term loss of the environment. The impact of this planning principle was visible to a limited extent, as it could not offer a complete solution to the migration outcomes to suburban and rural areas (Barnett 39). The prevalent urban form suffers from the insecurity of not finding long-term solutions of sustainable urbanism. Self-validation mars the impact to be created from the spirit of pursuing a comprehensive policy. For example, when a certified green building is enveloped by paved parking or a residential locality becomes unsustainable because of not being energy-efficient or land usage is sometimes afflicted by faulty construction. The Urban Growth Boundaries (UGB) were created with the aim of demarcating land usage beyond a limit. The UGB succeeded in its purpose of developing land within an allotted region but its sustainability purpose of quality of the developed land was compromised. It turned out to be well-positioned but bad development (Farr 28). All efforts made by Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) have not delivered results because it devoted its efforts to bringing amendments in the traditional regulatory practices to make them modern with urban sustainability. There are still unfriendly singular parameters on the built environment that are detrimental to climate changing sprawl. Further, the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) targets of Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) are flawed. LEED has not been

Normative Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Normative Ethics - Essay Example It is unfortunate if doctors or other concerned individuals would allow the mother to die just because abortion is not morally permissible. The mother can conceive again and luckily enough give birth to a healthy child but if neglected to die, such acts would remain in the guilty conscience of those involved for a longer time. Such cases occur in the event that the mother is not feeling well, the fetus has some terminal illness that might affect the mother, or the fetus is dead. Removing it from the womb would be beneficial to the mother physically. Most people nowadays especially the younger generations abort for the wrong reasons. Probably the individuals practiced unsafe sex resulting into unwanted pregnancies. Rather than keeping the baby and maybe giving it up for adoption after giving birth, the individuals decide to terminate the pregnancies. In other cases, married women decide to abort in the event that an unplanned pregnancy kicks in which they know their husbands would not approve. Others cheat on their husbands and abort when they get pregnant with the other man’s child. Such cases of abortion should not be morally permissible despite the justification such individuals try to make on the acts. I believe that if the health of the mother is not at stake, individuals should just carry the pregnancy to term and give the baby out for adoption if they do not need it. Actually, some couples out there cry themselves to sleep since they can never conceive. Ironically, others carelessly abort even as many as seven times before settling down and getting serious with life. Such individual women may fail to conceive later in their lives since in the process of so many abortions, they could have damaged their womb. From there, guilty conscience starts to eta them up with lots. Therefore, individual women should be careful if they do not wish to get pregnant; they should refrain or use the various birth control methods in the

Prevent Internet Censorship, Save Freedom of Speech -- Argumentative Es

Every second, citizens of the world enter cyber space to relay information, keep in contact with family and friends, and to complete a multitude of various tasks. The World Wide Web is a major staple in ensuring that individuals of all nationalities can perform all the necessary tasks in their lives. However, the negative aspects of the internet have been recently brought into the public eye. Social Networks such as Facebook and Twitter along with other popularly accessed websites such as Reddit, 4Chan, and Pinterest have become the subject of critique after a whirl of internet controversy arose. Public scrutiny of many popularly viewed sites has resulted in the call for restrictions in order to prevent the harmful aspects of the internet. This controversial topic has created a rift in website surfers from around the world. Internet censorship is the control of access to information presented on the internet. Advocates of internet restrictions argue that popular sites are the source of obsessions which result in crumbling relationships, put minors in danger of cyber bullying and internet predators, and provide easy access to vulgar or dangerous information which corrupts our culture. As recommended by Dr. Pinhas Dannon, psychiatrist from Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, the disorder (internet addiction) should be grouped with other extremely addictive disorders such as gambling, sex addiction, and kleptomania. (Nauert) Many Americans exposed to the internet find themselves enveloped in the entertaining world of the â€Å"Net.† As argued by those in support of internet restriction and censorship, the act of spending excessive amounts of time on the computer results in crumbling relationships and disinteg... ...o the 1st Amendment and everything this country stands for. This country has spent years and many court case hours defending the rights that our fore fathers fought to protect. Work Cited Anderson, Mark. "Internet Censorship: As Bad As You Thought It Was." - IEEE Spectrum. Nov. 2007. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. . Kan, Michael. "Time to De-Flash Your Site?" The U.S. Has Asked the Chinese Government Explain Its Policies Related to Blocking Company Websites. 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. . "Limit the Content That Children Can View on the Web." Limit the Content That Children Can View on the Web. Windows, 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. .

Letter of Insanitation

Dear Manager, I came into your restaurant for lunch on Saturday, November 2nd, 2013 at approximately 12:30 p. m. Being that your store location is closest to my home and to my work; I dine at your location very frequently with my co-workers and family. This past Saturday, I realized something that I should have always been observant of; however, I made the assumption that it was something that I didn’t need to be concerned about because of the common sense around the issue. I noticed that the man who was making my sandwich was not wearing gloves or a hair net.I realize that most men have short enough hair so that it is not a major issue; however, this gentleman had hair longer than shoulder length. I understand that I came in during the lunch-time hour and that the store was busy, however, these things are not negotiable because of the risks associated with not wearing a hair net or gloves. While I stood at the counter watching my sandwich being prepared, three employees on th e assembly line sneezed within a two minute increment and two of those used their hands to cover their mouths/noses while sneezing.Neither of the two employees left their station to go wash their hands and to clean themselves. They remained working and continued on with making my sandwich, along with the others who were waiting in line. It was not just me who realized what just happened, the man next to me and I both made eye-contact and mumbled a few words to each other regarding the incident. I am sure, that a person in your position knows the magnitude of viruses and diseases that can easily be spread by unwashed hands.Your employees can spread certain germs/microbes like viruses and bacteria by contaminating the objects or surfaces that they are touching. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instructs that hands be washed before making food AND putting on gloves to make food. The FDA also advices that hands be washed after coughing, sneezing and touching your body, howev er, in the case of your store, this was not taken seriously. I was extremely concerned when watching my food being prepared by your employees and the problem could be solved so simply.I received my sandwich and after watching what I saw, I didn’t even eat the food I purchased because I was not willing to take the risk in getting sick because of poor practices on behalf of your employees and stores location. I have a couple recommendations as to how to fix this problem and any future problems in the future at your location with your employees: 1. ) Take an extra 30-45 seconds and thoroughly wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap. 2.)Advise all working personnel that they are required to wear a hair net if their hair is longer than a certain length. Please remind your staff/employees to take the safety of your customers seriously, especially when it involves personal hygiene. I am sure that even the busiest person on the planet would gladly wait an additional 30-45 seconds so that you can wash your hands and so they do not get an illness and become sick. I hope that this problem gets solved because I do enjoy coming into your stores location for lunch/dinner! Sincerely,

Obesity And The United States - 2030 Words

Compared to other countries, the United States was reported to have the second highest rate of obesity in the world after Mexico. Over the past decade, cases of obesity have triplicated in the U.S., affecting more than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of the adults (Ogden et al. 2014). Given the current trends, it is projected that 42% of the U.S. population will be obese by 2030 (Finkelstein et al. 2012). Aside from its nefarious impact on the overall quality of life of the affected individual on a micro level, obesity has an enormous economist cost on the US healthcare system. In their extensive annual medical spending report, Finkelstein et al. (2012) indicated that the annual medical cost for obesity in the US amount to $147 billion†¦show more content†¦According to the most recent data, two states have adult obesity rates above 35 percent, 20 states have rates at or above 30 percent, 43 states have rates at or above 25 percent and every state is above 20 percent. (Stat e of Obesity 2013). Studies (Arcaya et al. 2013; Burdette and Whitaker 2004) have identified various factors that play a role in the state of this current conjuncture. Findings on the subject are not uniformed however. Papas et al. (2007) have identified twenty studies in their systematic literature review that investigate the effect of environment’s structure on the rate of obesity. While 17 of those studies show a significant relationship between those two variables, three of them found no relationship. At a county-level, only two studies (Holzer, Canavan and Bradley 2014; Slack, Myers, Martin et al. 2014) have investigated the geographical variability in the rate of obesity. They discovered that higher obesity rates were linked with counties with lower number of dentists per capita, higher percentages of African Americans, higher rates of unemployment, lower rates of educational attainment and fewer adults who engaged in regular physical activity. The results of these two studies provided up t o date evidence on a national scale. In the end, the situation remains, the same: the dynamic between local level factors associated with this public health