We must hold sacred the finely tuned checks and balances of federalism. The rights and liberties we are afforded in this country are only as strong as the form of government we have in place that protects those rights and liberties.
This post is a brief summary accompanied by a link to an article written by Justin Stapley for the Federalist Coalition, a 501(c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to promote and educate Americans on the principles of federalism. For more links as well as insights, short-posts, and general ramblings from Justin Stapley (editor and owner of The Liberty Hawk), visit The Editor’s Corner.
A little over a year ago, the national debate revolved around supposed crises that pale in comparison to the very real crisis we now find ourselves in. Perhaps if anything positive comes from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we will all remember what a true crisis actually looks like. Perhaps we’ll be less inclined to consider giving the President additional emergency powers to deal with threats that are often not nearly as dire as we assume them to be.
But even in the midst of a very real crisis, like what we face today, it’s important to remember the necessity of maintaining the checks and balances of our federalist system. Thankfully, the domestic law enforcement power needed to deal with COVID-19 has largely remained in the hands of State Governors. And, many of the most effective measures are being enacted by local governments with voluntary compliance by Americans working together to “flatten the curve.”
With the goal of balancing needed action with the importance of maintaining the principles of limited government in mind, and of putting the other things we often consider crises in context, here’s a link to an article I wrote for the Federalist Coalition in February 2019:
Do you have a response to Justin’s article? Would you like to offer your own take on this topic? Feel free to submit your own article or offer a comment below.