Commentary: Balanced federalism continues to be ignored as part of the nationâs problem-solving agenda
By LaVarr Webb
A number of years ago, during the Obama administration, I wrote a column questioning why the nationâs leaders didnât even discuss federalism as part of the solution to big domestic problems facing the country.
At the time, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was sort of a policy wonk, was developing a series of position papers outlining policy positions to show Republicans had realistic plans to address national challenges.
Republicans called their political manifesto âA Better Wayâ. Topics covered include poverty, national security, the economy, the Constitution, health care, tax reform and other issues.
However, the policy positions didnât suggest that some issues facing the country could be better handled at the state level instead of the federal level. A Better Way focused on how the federal government should address challenges. It ignored the proper balance that should exist between the federal government and state governments.
If that oversight was a problem six years ago, itâs even a greater omission today. Consider the immense expansion of the federal government resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Biden administrationâs already enacted and pending proposals expanding entitlements and extending social benefits into nearly every aspect of life â not just for low-income people, but for the middle class.
Conservatives are denouncing and opposing many of the administrationâs initiatives, but hardly anyone is doing so on the principle of federalism....
Federal officials arenât any smarter than state and local officials. The diversity and variety of public policies offered by different states and localities is healthy, not something to be feared. Let liberal states be liberal. Let conservative states be conservative. Letâs see who performs best in caring for the needy, protecting the environment, providing excellent education, creating strong economies and providing good jobs. (Read More)
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