Fractured Federalism

Proposals to turn national programs over to the states are abound in Washington. The failure of federal programs over the past 60 years demonstrates that centralized solutions to local problems are ineffective. Federalism—the constitutional distribution of power between the states and national government— is once again on the agenda.

Lessons regarding centralization have been learned the hard way. For example, since the 1960s the national government has spent $5 trillion on social welfare programs for such efforts as the “War on Poverty.” The result is a poverty rate of 15.1 percent—higher than the 14.7 percent rate we had before the Great Society. The nation cannot afford anymore trillion-dollar lessons. As an alternative, many leaders around the country are re-examining the role of the states.

But is the rhetoric of the politicians sincere? Is there a genuine movement in Washington toward federal decentralization?

Though national politicians often claim they seek to restore power to the states, a closer look at their proposals indicates otherwise. Consider Republican initiatives for welfare reform and environmental deregulation. Rather than abolishing burdensome federal directives like the Clean Water Act or fundamentally altering welfare programs, the initiatives simply direct the states to craft new methods for complying with those dictates. Proposals for block grants for school lunch programs mandate how states will use 80 percent of the funds. This is clearly not meaningful change.

Rather than block grants, the states require a return of their sovereignty. Local citizens have a greater stake in the purity of their water and relief of their indigent than any outsider. Moreover, their familiarity with the resources available and community priorities is unparalleled.

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