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The top comment pretty much sums it up: "I have an idea. Since there is no way a large federal government can govern a nation of 315,000,000 people spread acro
by cylinder 13y ago
The top comment pretty much sums it up:
"I have an idea. Since there is no way a large federal government can govern a nation of 315,000,000 people spread across 3,79,000 square miles, lets devise a system where the federal government is primarily responsible for defense, international trade and affairs, protecting rights, minting currency, and making sure states don't put up trade barriers. In fact, let's explicitly ban the federal government from doing anything else. Let's relegate all other such power to these individual entities called states, each of which will contain far less land, and far less population than the nation as a whole!!!!
Oh wait; I guess that's what the constitution was supposed to do."
The Founders already understood that complex organizations fail and they tried to craft the Constitution to avoid expansion of the federal government. Unfortunately they failed to anticipate the judiciary's quick power grab and the Congress' broad implementation of the Commerce clause.
- csense 13y agoOther causes of expansion of the federal government include economic changes brought about by technology and population growth; and cultural changes due to mass media. There are definitely problems, but the US is still fairly free and prosperous, despite centuries of geopolitical events and economic / technological disruption that could not have been foreseen in the 18th century when it was written. The Constitution works. Because of its proven track record, let's try not to radically re-interpret it, pack it with frivolous amendments, or allow the continued exploitation of loopholes like the commerce clause.