Problem:
As ideological polarization deepens and civic discourse continues to degrade, there is a growing sense in America today that something in our political system is broken. Theories about the cause are manifold: a biased media, politicians who have lost touch with their constituents, systemic flaws in our constitutional structure. But a return to normalcy - and perhaps more importantly, civility-might be as simple as embracing one of the chief principles upon which the American political system was founded - federalism. In crafting our constitutional arrangement, the Framers chose a political union that divides power between a central government and member sovereigns. Federalism, they believed, was the best way to ensure a harmonious union between separate states with distinct cultures and political preferences. Yet over the past century, our political system has become increasingly centralized, with the federal government prescribing one-size-fits-all policy in some of the most contested areas of public discourse, like healthcare, education, and entitlements. The consequences of this consolidation are palpable - our country is politically fractured, with diverse sectors of society straining under the weight of policy dictated by distant lawmakers unacquainted with the needs of their constituents. By returning power to the states - those same powers expressly reserved to them under the Tenth Amendment - we can hope for some semblance of harmony. Need Assignment Help?