ldsuttonjr Loc: ShangriLa

By Troy Senik
Thursday, January 23 2014
When the states are actually run as laboratories, their experiments are the ones that work.

Defenders of federalism — the practice of devolving as much power as practicable to state and local governments, consistent with the 10th Amendment to the Constitution — often cite as their mantra the phrase of Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who wrote in his 1932 dissent in New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann that "a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country."

Brandeis’ quotation gets the principle right, even if its phrasing leaves something to be desired. It’s not just that state-level innovation mitigates risk by quarantining the effect of new policies; it’s also that such efforts can have a positive effect, serving as examples for the rest of the nation of what works and what doesn’t.

In t***h, there’s a fair amount of irony in the quote’s source. Brandeis was appointed to the Supreme Court by Woodrow Wilson and shared the academic-turned-president’s progressive leanings. The quote seems an anachronism today; Brandeis’s modern heirs tend to take a jaundiced view of states’ rights (often conflating them with the suffering of African-Americans under s***ery and Jim Crow) and are hardly known for their enthusiasm for federalism.

Here’s another irony: progressives were known for their affection for “scientific management” — the notion that an elite cadre of intellectuals ought to be shaping policy for the public good. Indeed, notice that Brandeis’ famous quote relies on scientific diction: the states as “laboratories.” But if progressives fancied themselves the guardians of science and reason (a trait that endures to this day), wouldn’t the whole point of ‘experimentation’ be to reveal reliable t***hs that could be replicated elsewhere? If so, the left is going to be disappointed.

Last week, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University released a ranking of the states according to their solvency. Alaska was ranked as having the best fiscal condition in the nation, followed by South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Montana and Alabama. At the bottom of the list: West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut and, worst in the nation, New Jersey.

Notice a commonality? Nearly all of the top 10 (with the exceptions of the swing states of Florida and Ohio) are red states that prize economic freedom. Nearly all of the dregs are regulatory, interventionist, tax-and-spend blue states.

The genius of federalism isn’t just that it allows experiments like this to be run; it’s that it allows a free migration zone throughout the country, allowing citizens to v**e with their feet upon witnessing the outcomes. The results: you guessed it—more heartburn for the left. From April 2010 to July 2012, the 10 states with the highest levels of inbound domestic migration were: Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Arizona, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, Georgia and Oregon. They’re not all red states, but inflows to places like Oregon, Washington (which has no state income tax) and Colorado become more intelligible when you realize just how many citizens are fleeing the economic wasteland of California. The Golden State saw the third-highest level of outmigration (behind New York and Illinois), and was joined in the top 10 by New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Indiana. That’s a list that ought to keep the left up at night.

Believers in economic freedom should take p***e in this list. When the states are actually run as laboratories, their experiments are the ones that work. Before they get too excited, however, it’s worth issuing a note of caution: The more the federal government expands, the less the states have the chance to flower.

We’ve seen consistent encroachment on states’ rights throughout the Obama Administration on everything from Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion (where the president was slapped down by the Supreme Court) to education (where the feds consistently attempt to insert themselves in everything from school lunches to bullying laws).

If these efforts aren’t resisted — if the federal government continues to crowd out the power of the states — than Americans’ freedom to choose the kind of government they want to live under will be greatly constrained. Federalism — like all liberties, for that matter — is fragile, and relies on the vigilance of the citizenry for its survival. That’s a fight worth joining — lest the whole nation end up as one big blue state some day in the not-too-distant future.

oldroy Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)

I was getting a real kick out of this piece and then I arrived at these quoted words and nearly fell out of my chair in laughter thinking about the states included.

when you realize just how many citizens are fleeing the economic wasteland of California. The Golden State saw the third-highest level of outmigration (behind New York and Illinois), and was joined in the top 10 by New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Indiana. That’s a list that ought to keep the left up at night.

donc711 Loc: North East Kansas

Me too. That is a hoot.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

mpix Loc: NorCal

Now if we can encourage s few more libs to intimidate to another state like New York. We in California might stand a chance.

mpix Loc: NorCal

Oops outmigrate. Spell check.

oldroy Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)

It is past time for little boy Devon to get back in here in defense of the State Socialism of California.

ldsuttonjr Loc: ShangriLa

Oldroy: Amen Brother! You can't explain anything logical to a liberal; because they are so illogical!

faithistheword

I'm sure he is furiously searching Mediamatters to find some debunking story ! When CA falls off into the Pacific, and New York falls into the Atlantic, The fight for freedom will be possible.

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

Cali in the pacific New York n New Jersey in the Atlantic and Chicago into Lake Michigan.

You know what k**ls me is they know the t***h. Whenever they want to stimulate the economy in a particular city or state they reduce the tax burden and profide for significant infrastructure improvements.

They will blame big business and greedy corp America for driving away all of the jobs.

Fed, we won't give you money for roads, schools, healthcare or anything else unless you do as your told.

oldroy Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)

I am in agreement with you about this but I would like to have some prog tell me where in the Constitution they find that the Feds are required to spend money for roads, schools, and healthcare. We have become accustomed to all that but until the mid-50s little money was handed out for road building and then the Congress decided we needed our interstate highway system and off they went. School funding was provided for in Amendment 10 but Bush held out the carrot for NCLB and Obama held out a bigger carrot for Common Core and state legislatures gave in to get the money.

ldsuttonjr Loc: ShangriLa

Oldroy: Its just like many cancers.....it seems to get out of control if not aggressively fought!

oldroy Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)

We have to fight the progressives and their mainstream media all at once, but if we don't stay aggressive they will win.

ldsuttonjr Loc: ShangriLa

Oldroy: There may come a day that when they pull their Royal Flush and there's no money in the pot!!!! Then what...lock & Load? I've got a useful/useless brother on 100% disability He sent me this little words of stupidity? "The poor are not afraid of socialism - only the rich! Mush in the brain syndrome...it seems contagious l!!!!

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

I don't have to work, all I need to do is v**e for someone who will forcibly take what I want for someone else.

ldsuttonjr Loc: ShangriLa

Constitutional Libertarian: Those days and thoughts are going to be short-lived......