Home Rights

This is the second entry of a two-part series calling for the decentralization of our government.

It is wonderful to see America come together in times of crisis. Despite our vast differences as citizens of the most diverse nation on the planet, Americans support one another almost unconditionally when catastrophe strikes. Dating back to the Revolutionary War, Americans have always bound together in moments of extremity in order to protect one another's freedom. Most recently, the tragedy of 9/11 demonstrated the selfless patriotism that still burns deeply in Americans' hearts as millions of dollars in charity flooded to victims, Congress came together to search for solutions, and citizens abandoned their careers to join the military and protect our country from future attacks.

There is, however, an unfortunate bi-product of these periods. The federal government--and rightfully so--becomes the focal point of the nation as Americans look for leadership from the highest levels. New laws, policies, and agencies are instituted to deal with the crisis, and the citizenry happily accepts the inconveniences and costs associated with the emergency response. The problem has been that once stability is restored, the federal government has not relinquished the powers it seized to deal with the crisis.

The most obvious example of this came during the Great Depression. As discussed in a previous entry, FDR undertook a massive centralization of power during his presidency. His aim was to restore hope to the American people and mend the wounds of having more than a quarter of the country's workforce unemployed. Even with all of the agencies and programs FDR ushered into existence, the real catalyst for rebuilding the economy was World War II. Unfortunately, when the war was over and the economy booming, we forgot to shut down or streamline the policies and agencies that came into being in order to lead us out of the Great Depression.

Fast forward to 2007. Many crises and catastrophes later, the federal government has continued to centralize power and expand its role in the economy, education, and individual rights. The result is that each citizen's role in governance is diminished.

If you live in a town of 50,000 people, your vote is very powerful. A few voters and activists can turn the tide of an entire issue. The strength of that vote is diminished when issues go county-wide, because now there may be 200,000 voters. The dillution continues at the state level, where a single vote is now just a fraction of a millionth of the constituency. Finally, at the federal level, it is easy for a voter to feel that his or her vote has little impact.

Because the federal government has grown so substantially in size and strength over the last 80 years, Americans have grown increasingly disinterested in politics. As the state and local governments lose their hold over once-local issues such as education, voters feel a disconnect from issues. Furthermore, the grandiose promises of what is perceived to be an invincible institution (the U.S. government) trick citizens into believing that problems can and should be solved with national policies that sweep over the states, bringing prosperity, wisdom, and happiness to every citizen.

It is hard to feel responsible for America's problems as a single voter. It is hard to believe that you can impact an issue when even the federal government fails to achieve success in many of its endeavors. And so apathy sets in--a very natural and understandable response to our current political state.

The Tenth Amendment of the Constitution reads as follows:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people.
I strongly encourage each reader to take the few minutes required to read the U.S. Constitution. Even if you cannot read the whole thing (it is very short), it is certainly worth one's time to take a look at article one, which actually lays out the powers of the federal government.

Combining the words of the Tenth Amendment with the text of the Constitution, one can clearly see how far beyond its charge the federal government has gone. There is not one word concerning public education in the Constitution. What is amazing, however, is how well the framers defined the role of the federal government. Two hundred years later, the powers listed in Article I, section viii of the historic document are still the most vital functions of the federal government, and should be among its only powers.

The states have crippled. Their share of taxes is relatively small, and their control over key issues--most importantly education--has diminshed substantially. Controls over agriculture, intrastate business, and law enformcement have been seized by the federal government, which threatens to pull its infrastructure funding from states if they do not pass certain laws.

Nearly every issue critical to everday life is now run by the few individuals who walk the halls of buildings located in the only part of the country that does not fall under state law (Washington, D.C.).

It is time to streamline the federal government and force it to focus on its most important duties, most of which concern national security. It is time to give the voter back some measure of significance by making local politics relevant again. It is time for honest change.