Contrast and Comparison paragraph. By Iuliia Gorodyska

Contrast comparison paragraph. By Iuliia Gorodyska

Subsidiarity vs. Centralization

The principle of subsidiarity is an idea that emerged from Catholic thought and widely opposes the idea of centralization of power. These two organizing principles differ in three main aspects, namely (a) proximity principle, (b) participation possibility, and (c) civic control possibility.

(a) Subsidiarity tenet invokes that decisions should be made by lowest, smallest, and least celtralized competent authority, which suggests that the body solving the problem is directly aware of it and is able to act immediately, without waiting for admission from a higher authority. Unlike subsidiarity, idea of centralization argues that the central authority is competent to solve all problems and has the vision of development of the country, so every problem should be addressed to the central government to get its approvements to act.

(b) Subsidiarity argues further that it gives an opportunity for citizens to influence the decisions made on the local levels, as the local authorities are smaller and their competencies are limited, they pay attention to citizens' opinion. In contrast, centralization directs decision making of all problems on the high level where one competent body is responsible for proper functioning of the state. That means that the right of participation in public affairs of citizens is unlikely to be realized.

(c) Subsidiarity gives to citizens one more privilege, offering the civic control possibilities. As the problems are made by the lowest authority, the responsible for the decision are more easy to find, so they can be always controlled and must be transparent in their decisions. However, centralization means that decisions made by the central government are closed, so that neither the process of decision making can be supervised, nor the responsible for decisions are known, which significantly limits control of civic society.

Both principles of organization of power exist nowadays, and people in every state have the right to choose the way they want to devide the state power.