Federalism: Outdated? (1 Viewer)

[RightOfCenter]

In an age of a huge and growing government, even under the small government party, is federalism an outdated idea? Even though it is one of the main components of our government has it lost its usefullness in an age of blackmail by a federal government which threatens to withhold necessary funds for roads and other programs?

 

[Kandahar]

In an age of a huge and growing government, even under the small government party, is federalism an outdated idea? Even though it is one of the main components of our government has it lost its usefullness in an age of blackmail by a federal government which threatens to withhold necessary funds for roads and other programs?

Not at all, federalism is absolutely necessary in today's government and we should do everything within our collective power to restore it. It provides a perfect balance: If a nation is too fragmented, it will have civil unrest. If a nation is too unified, it won't be able to test alternative policies to see which work the best. Federalism is great because of the evolutionary mechanism at work; states can look at policies in other states, and adopt the ones that work and discard the ones that don't.

 

[Goobieman]

The states are sovereign -- they can disband the Federal Government at any time. Given that, there isnt any way Federalism can be written off.

That said, the state governments have evolved into smaller versions of the Fed gvmnt, spending as much as they can on whatever they can. They have allowed themselves to become so used to federal money that they can be forced by the Fed Gvmnt to do just about anything the Fed Gvmnt wants.

What needs to happen is that several states grow backbones and tell the feds to shove off. Once that happens, hopefully other states will follow, and the states will retake what they have lost. This will force the federal government back to doing what its supposed to be doing rather than trying to do everything.

 

[FallingPianos]

Not at all, federalism is absolutely necessary in today's government and we should do everything within our collective power to restore it. It provides a perfect balance: If a nation is too fragmented, it will have civil unrest. If a nation is too unified, it won't be able to test alternative policies to see which work the best. Federalism is great because of the evolutionary mechanism at work; states can look at policies in other states, and adopt the ones that work and discard the ones that don't.

I think the main flaw ith federalism today is that our nation already is too unified, and there's nothing that can be done about it. where access to information and news is as available as it is in the US, unification will happen. just think about how upset the entire country got about a little state south dakota banning abortion. our government needs to be restructured to work best with a unified people.

 

[RightOfCenter]

The states are sovereign -- they can disband the Federal Government at any time. Given that, there isnt any way Federalism can be written off.

Getting rid of the Feds didn't go so well the last time it was tried back in 1861.

Small states like South Dakota where I live are basically the government's b****. Without the money they give us for public works a lot of the people here wouldn't have plumbing, phonelines, or electricity, and if the state starts doing something that the Feds don't like the money we absolutely need to maintain our highways would be gone. Hence why the drinking age in South Dakota isn't 18 anymore. With the Federal Government having so much influence in our daily lives already, especially in education and transportation, federalism has become more of a token of the way things were in the 1700s.

 

[Goobieman]

Getting rid of the Feds didn't go so well the last time it was tried back in 1861.

That was secession.
I'm talking about passing an amendment that nullifies the Constituion.
Poof. Its gone.

 

[RightOfCenter]

Do you mean single states nullifying the Constitution or congress as a whole deciding to remove it? I'd like to see a single state try and get out.

 

[Goobieman]

Do you mean single states nullifying the Constitution or congress as a whole deciding to remove it? I'd like to see a single state try and get out.

I mean the states, as per the procedure under Article V of the Constitutioin, amending said constitution to read something like:

"As of noon on 20 May 2006, all articles of this Constiution, as amended, shall be considered Null and Void".

This would dissolve the untion and disband the federal government.

The states can do this any time they want; the fed gvmnt is powerless to (legally) stop it.

 

[Scarecrow Akhbar]

Federalism -
Federalism is the idea of a group or body of members that are bound together (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. That representative head can be a king or God (as in theology), or a thing or general assembly (as in politics).
In politics, federalism is the political philosophy that underlies a system of government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and constituent political units (like states or provinces), creating what is often called a federation. Proponents are often called federalists. In Canada and Europe, "federalist" is often used to describe those who favor a stronger federal government (or European Union government) and weaker provincial governments. The same is historically true in the United States, with those who generally favor a confederation, or weaker federal government and stronger state governments, being called "anti-federalists". However, in recent years in America "federalism" has come to mean something closer to confederacy.

Federalism, ie the notion that laws should be made to apply to as small an area as is necessary to address any given problem, isn't outmoded. It's still a wonderful idea.

Needless to say, the purposes of any federalist society is to limit the power that accumulates at the top....needless to say, the typical pig that gets into politics as a career wants to both get to the top and have as much power as he can get a hold of. And thus the concept of federalism has been under attack since the day the Constitution was ratified.

Do we need a national education administration? No. But we gots one.

Do we need rape and domestic violence to be regulated under federal law? No, but it was for a while, until the courts woke up.

Is abortion a national issue? No, of course not. But the states are denied the freedom to set their own rules.

So naturally, things are more fouled up than they would be otherwise. Pinheads in the central government are making one-size-fits-all policies for fifty communities and thousands of sub-communities over which they really don't have authority to govern. It didn't work for Russia, it won't work for the US.

 

[RightOfCenter]

I mean the states, as per the procedure under Article V of the Constitutioin, amending said constitution to read something like:

"As of noon on 20 May 2006, all articles of this Constiution, as amended, shall be considered Null and Void".

This would dissolve the untion and disband the federal government.

But state was being screwed over by the policies of the central government, they have no choice but to go along with it. Smaller states have only 3 representatives in the legislature, not quite enough to attain that two thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution.

 

[Goobieman]

But state was being screwed over by the policies of the central government, they have no choice but to go along with it. Smaller states have only 3 representatives in the legislature, not quite enough to attain that two thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution.

The states can amend the Constitution w/o going through Congress.

And, said states being 'screwed over' by the Federal Gvmnt could very well be the impetus behind said amendment.

 

[Stinger]

We need to get back to the federalism we once had.

 

[LaMidRighter]

Federalism is in my opinion more important now than it ever was. Special interests since at least the late 1800's have gradually encouraged the government of the United States to take on more and more authority, to amend behaviors that are not under it's charge or authority, and to userp the original intent of the constitution in horrendous ways. Federalism is not only still the best social contract of governance, but the only thing that will save this great country and our concept of freedom and personal liberty.

 

[dragonslayer]

Federalism is alive and well. bush is using federalism to put the USA hundreds of billions in debt. He is using federalism to destroy the democratic process in the USA. what will be soon outdated is the house of representatives and the Senate, if Bush has his way. Federalism is the process being used to fight the wasted War in Iraq, and make Cheney and Haliburton rich. Reminds one of Hitler closing the Bundestag. (German Parliament} Centralized government supported by corporation, that is the way of Hitler and Bush.

 

[Goobieman]

Federalism is alive and well. bush is using federalism to put the USA hundreds of billions in debt. He is using federalism to destroy the democratic process in the USA. what will be soon outdated is the house of representatives and the Senate, if Bush has his way. Federalism is the process being used to fight the wasted War in Iraq, and make Cheney and Haliburton rich. Reminds one of Hitler closing the Bundestag. (German Parliament} Centralized government supported by corporation, that is the way of Hitler and Bush.

:shock:

Apparently "federalism" means somethng to you that the rest of us arent aware of.

 

[dragonslayer]

Federalism means Central government as opposed to state rights and individual rights. This is what Bush is doing 100%.

 

[Kandahar]

Federalism means Central government as opposed to state rights and individual rights. This is what Bush is doing 100%.

A swing and a miss. Actually it means the exact opposite.

 

[dragonslayer]

A swing and a miss. Actually it means the exact opposite.

please send me the correct definition, so I can send it to the online encyclopia and dictionary I got my definition from.

http://www.infoplease.com/

I took the definition out dictionary, I did add the line about individual rights, Bush, but I take shots at Bush with every post i write here.
I dislike Bush very much.

Federalism as opposed to state's rights.

states' rights

states' rights, in U.S. history, doctrine based on the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The term embraces both the doctrine of absolute state sovereignty that was espoused by John C. Calhoun and that of the so-called strict constructionist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, which reserves to the state governments all powers not specifically granted by that document to the federal government. A states' rights controversy is probably inherent in the federal structure of the United States government.



federal government

federal government or federation,government of a union of states in which sovereignty is divided between a central authority and component state authorities. A federation differs from a confederation in that the central power acts directly upon individuals as well as upon states, thus creating the problem of dual allegiance. Substantial power over matters affecting the people as a whole, such as external affairs, commerce, coinage, and the maintenance of military forces, are usually granted to the central government. Nevertheless, retention of jurisdiction over local affairs by states is compatible with the federal system and makes allowance for local feelings. The chief political problem of a federal system of government is likely to be the allocation of sovereignty, because the need for unity among the federating states may conflict with their desire for autonomy. The Greek city-states failed to solve this problem, although religious and political federations were often attempted and the Aetolian and Achaean leagues had many of the institutions of federal government. The primacy of the central over the state governments was not resolved in the United States until after the Civil War. The distribution of powers between the federal and state governments is usually accomplished by means of a written constitution, for a federation does not exist if authority can be allocated by ordinary legislation. A fairly uniform legal system, as well as cultural and geographic affinities, is usually necessary for the success of a federation. Varieties of federation include the Swiss, where the federative principle is carried into the executive branch of government; the Australian, which closely reflects American states' rights and judicial doctrines; and the Canadian, which reverses common federative practice and allots residuary rights to the dominion government. Other examples of federal governments are the German Empire of 1871 and the present state of Germany, modern Russia, Mexico, South Africa, and India.