<del>Given our current status as a superpower,</del> I’m not so quick to judge federalism as an “obviously bad idea”. The balance between the House and Senate i

<del>Given our current status as a superpower,</del> I’m not so quick to judge federalism as an “obviously bad idea”. The balance between the House and Senate is a compromise that prevents the federal government from running roughshod over individual states, while still giving the larger states more of a voice. Federalism, in theory, improves the ability of local people to govern their local affairs, and treats states as semi-sovereign. The Senate is essential as a check on federal power over statehood.