One of the arguments for federalism — shifting more power to states and away from the Federal government — is that we create 50 different experiments in democracy.<\/p>\n
It’s a great notion that has served us well: 50 different laboratories, all trying new things, making mistakes, cleaning up messes, and slowly crawling toward reform.<\/p>\n
(Yes, with the occasional nudge from Uncle Sam…)<\/p>\n
Readers of this blog know my general take on American democracy:<\/p>\n
By any reasonable measure — from openness and accountability to fairness and a lack of corruption — our system works better now than it did a century ago.<\/p>\n
In large part, that’s due to experiments at the state level. Franklin Roosevelt first tinkered with his big ideas here in New York state, including the North Country’s St. Lawrence Seaway.<\/p>\n
Ronald Reagan test-drove his vision of America in California.<\/p>\n
But these days, the laboratories seem to be breaking down. The political cultures in New York and California are gridlocked.<\/p>\n
Alaska — where I grew up — is a banana republic without the bananas, unless you count members of Governor Sarah Palin’s extended family.<\/p>\n
South Carolina? Don’t get me started.<\/p>\n
What troubles me most about these failures is that state government is — compared with our Federal system — extremely responsive to the public will.<\/p>\n
For all our groaning and complaining, we’re getting the government we want and deserve.<\/p>\n
Most of us now see our elected officials primarily as conduits of pork.<\/p>\n
We want more and more services, more government jobs, and big cash payments to fund our local projects — and we’re outraged at the idea that we should pay for any of it.<\/p>\n
But when times are hard, we need leadership not patronage.<\/p>\n
We need thoughtful, creative politicians, willing to try new things and take risks.<\/p>\n
Maybe in next year’s election, more voters will go looking for fresh faces, fresh minds, people willing to renew the experiment.<\/p>\n
-Brian in Westport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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