Federalism in the 21st Century

This essay is about the fundamentals of respecting differences and encouraging competition.

When the United States was being formed, there were thirteen colonies and those colonies were not inhabited by like thinking; like religious practicing; like political leaning; like slave owning; like almost anything people with the exception of a good disliking for George III and his minions. So, they united to form a rebellion and they formed ways of raising monies to fight and then they met and debated the form of government they wished to adopt and there was great discussion and disagreement. They actually started with so called Articles of Confederation; a loose umbrella over the thirteen separate colonies which were now, for the first time, being called states. They tried to live under those Articles but found that it was difficult to raise funds (taxes and fees and duties) to pay back the revolution war debts and they found that they could not deal with chaos like the Shays rebellion in Massachusetts. So, they reconvened and set up the constitution and, in order to get nine of the thirteen states to adopt it so that it could go into effect they attached the first ten amendments to it, the so called bill of rights, to placate those who feared a powerful central government would arise and they would find themselves in the same situation they just dismantled. (Aside, why would they have had that concern?)

Now, they left a lot of space for the states to do their own thing. Make their own laws. Follow their own spirit and have their own debates to define their own course of action and responsibility. In the meantime there were those who lived in one state and they had figured out how people in a different state should be living and behaving and acting. In a neighborhood, we call these people “busy bodies.” In the United States, we call them “politicians in power.” In some instances the issues were rather profound such as freeing the slaves of the southern states. In some cases the issues were rather unprofound such as letting men marry men; oops, that sounds as if we accelerated to the present a bit too fast. But you get the idea. So, today we have national laws about darn near everything as if the people of the 50 states see everything much the same way. Well, we/they don’t. And we never will and that’s why we have sovereign states and that’s why the diminution of the concept of federalism is the fundamental that is tearing us apart.

We are not alike. We do not see every topic; every issue the same. We are a big country made up of many immigrants and their offspring and we believe different things – different standards; different values; different morals; different religions; different work ethic; different health, education, charity and welfare inclinations. Its just the way we are.

Let’s say in one or two or three states, they just love unions. Let’s call those states Illinois, New York and California. But let’s say in three other states they could care less about unions; they just want jobs. Let’s call those states Texas, South Carolina and Alabama. So the economic systems are a bit different. This is good. This is competition. But what happens when one state or several find themselves losing jobs to other states? Do they look to change their belief system or do they look for protection of their belief system? Yep, they like that protection concept. So they get the national government to do many things to make sure that each state follows the same set of beliefs and rules. And this is breaking down the system of valuing difference and encouraging competition. It is also a violation of the constitution. There is no one size fits all that works regardless of the brilliance of HReid and NPelosi and BFrank.

What do the states say? New Hampshire says, “Live free or die” and California says, “Eureka…I have found it!” Tennessee says, “Agriculture and Commerce” and Maryland says, “Manly deeds womanly words,” So, what’s it to you in New York or Michigan or Florida? Butt out. Leave them be. They know what is best for their folk just as you should know what is best for your folk. But when you start telling them what to do you had better grasp that, at some point, someone is going to tell you what to do. You started it and you may well find someone else finishing it.

So, when the feds say this is how it works for all of you; stand up and say, as the people of Alabama do, “We Dare Defend our Rights.” And when the feds say everyone has to do it this way or that way, just use the words of the people of Georgia, “Wisdom, Justice and Moderation.” Or even better, send them to Iowa where the people say, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.”

Now, back to our essay. Competition is the only way we will grow and survive in a competitive world marketplace. The feds will not and cannot lead us to that spot. They have nary a clue. The people of the 50 states of the United States can lead us to that spot. Let them compete and let them find the best path. Let's back off this idea that Washington DC has the answer. It doesn’t. Let’s stop with one size fits all and that size is usually designed with the lowest common denominator in mind. That is no way to lead and to compete. Lets open up and thrive in a competitive marketplace. Lets follow the wisdom of the people of Oklahoma who say, “Labor conquers all things.”

The concept of federalism is based on the fundamentals of respecting difference and encouraging competition. These are fundamentals we can live with.

By the way, if you’d like to see the mottos of all 50 states, just click on: http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Lists/state_mottos.html