After having
gone through the readings, I got a solid concept of what subsidiarity means. I would explain subsidiarity as allowing for things to be solved at the lowest
level of government involvement possible. Putting it symbolically, if you are thirsty
for a cup of water, serve a cup of water not a gallon. Subsidiarity allows for
people to maintain a balance of self-reliance and the need for larger
assistance when needed. This is not to say that just because you use as little
as possible, there is no help from larger groups when needed. On the contrary,
it simply means that people are capable of finding solutions for themselves, yet
have access to help from above when needed.
This concept is related to the
textbooks definition of devolution in
that both believe in allowing things to be solved through the simplest way
possible. According to the textbook on page 37, devolution delegates power from the federal to the state and local
governments. Again, this reflects the idea of how if something can be solved
simply, it should; without the involvement of higher powers.
