Federalism means that the American people have instituted two tiers of government, each with separate functions. The whole scheme was modeled on Swiss cantons. In Switzerland, the Federal government is supreme in a few vital areas common to the entire country. The cantons do most of the run of the mill government.
The whole idea of states rights has come into bad odor with many, but the flip side of states' rights is states' responsibilities. Each state elects its own government representatives, who are responsible for lawmaking, including fiscal matters. When states such as Estase's own Killinois end up with a huge financial mess, the first instinct of some is to want the Federal government to bail out the state, fixing the errors our elected officials created. There are several reasons why this is unacceptable.
1) Federal bailouts of a state are a violation of the state's sovereignty. A state that gets bailouts from the rest of the country loses its own character and dignity as a freestanding government. It suggests that states do not have any right to their own existence, seeing as how they entirely rely on the Federal government.
2)Federal bailouts of a state remove any incentive to be careful in electing state politicians. Illinois is in the mess that it's in because too many of its politicians were elected for light and transient reasons. The psychology of the mob was joined to the methods of the mafia in Illinois. People were elected to the General Assembly who weren't responsible enough to be trusted with one's pet. The mere suggestion that Federal money might make up for a state's bad electoral choices feeds this political Lindsay Lohan behavior.
3) Other states shouldn't be punished for irresponsible states' choices. Why should states like North Dakota or Tennessee pay higher taxes for goodies that they didn't enjoy? Why should anyone elect sane politicians if the people who elect sane politicians pay for the states that elect lunatics?
4) Federal bailouts to irresponsible states are a terrible constitutional precedent. Once this practice begins, it is likely to reoccur over and over again. The end result will be anger and dissatisfaction, leading to calls for a unitary government, seeing as how the states have bungled the functions they were originally intended to perform.
The whole idea of states rights has come into bad odor with many, but the flip side of states' rights is states' responsibilities. Each state elects its own government representatives, who are responsible for lawmaking, including fiscal matters. When states such as Estase's own Killinois end up with a huge financial mess, the first instinct of some is to want the Federal government to bail out the state, fixing the errors our elected officials created. There are several reasons why this is unacceptable.
1) Federal bailouts of a state are a violation of the state's sovereignty. A state that gets bailouts from the rest of the country loses its own character and dignity as a freestanding government. It suggests that states do not have any right to their own existence, seeing as how they entirely rely on the Federal government.
2)Federal bailouts of a state remove any incentive to be careful in electing state politicians. Illinois is in the mess that it's in because too many of its politicians were elected for light and transient reasons. The psychology of the mob was joined to the methods of the mafia in Illinois. People were elected to the General Assembly who weren't responsible enough to be trusted with one's pet. The mere suggestion that Federal money might make up for a state's bad electoral choices feeds this political Lindsay Lohan behavior.
3) Other states shouldn't be punished for irresponsible states' choices. Why should states like North Dakota or Tennessee pay higher taxes for goodies that they didn't enjoy? Why should anyone elect sane politicians if the people who elect sane politicians pay for the states that elect lunatics?
4) Federal bailouts to irresponsible states are a terrible constitutional precedent. Once this practice begins, it is likely to reoccur over and over again. The end result will be anger and dissatisfaction, leading to calls for a unitary government, seeing as how the states have bungled the functions they were originally intended to perform.
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