The Decentralist Papers · Paper X of XX
The Federal Scope
Three Things. That's It.
The Constitution enumerated specific federal powers. Everything else was for states and citizens.
Federal government does:
- Defense - Protect the nation from foreign threats
- Courts - Administer justice between states and citizens
- Foreign Policy - Represent America to the world
Everything else is states and communities:
- Education: States
- Healthcare: States
- Welfare: Local communities and churches
- Infrastructure: States
- Business regulation: States
The federal government coordinates. It does not control.
Washington becomes a small operation focused on external threats and internal disputes. Not a 180,000-page regulatory empire.