Federalism: Statement of Principles [PDF] - InsiderOnline.org

Federalism
Statement of Principles
By Ronald W. Reagan
10
Every now and then, it’s worth revisiting
certain principles of good government—like
federalism. A good place to start is with President
Ronald Reagan’s Statement of Principles,
issued on April 8, 1986, and reproduced on the
opposite page. Reagan’s principles are relevant
to many policy problems. One such is education
policy, a current topic of national debate.
Discussions of education policy typically
focus on things like budgets, testing, accreditation,
and standards. Today policymakers are
considering expanding the federal No Child
Left Behind program so that it encompasses
high school as well as elementary school children.
Further, some are even talking about
NCLB as a model for a higher education testing
regime.
Reagan’s principles direct us to a different
set of questions. Is the federal government
uniquely competent to set education policy for
every state? Could state experimentation help
us find better solutions for increasing educational
achievement? Is there really only one
best education policy that fits every state?
At page 12, Eugene Hickok notes that federalizing
education policy threatens to undermine
the important role of responsible citizenship. If
the federal government intrudes where state
policy fails, then why should citizens bother
holding their state governments accountable
for performance?
At page 15, George Leef shows that higher
education is plagued, not be a lack of government
action, but by overly generous subsidies
from both the states and the federal government.
As we go to press, the U.S. Congress is considering
expanding student loans and creating a
federal testing regime. How are the states to
fix bad policies when the federal government is
moving in exactly the wrong direction? —Ed.
The Insider Winter 07

April 8, 1986
I. Federalism is rooted in the knowledge
that our political liberties are best assured
by limiting the size and scope of the
national government.
II. The people of the States created the
national government when they delegated
to it those enumerated governmental
Xxxxxxx
powers relating to matters
xxxxx
beyond the
competence of the individual xxxxxx States.
All other sovereign powers, xxxxxx save those
expressly prohibited the States by the
Constitution, are reserved to the States
or to the people.
III. The constitutional relationship among
sovereign governments, State and national,
is formalized in and protected by the
Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.
IV. The people of the States are free, subject
only to restrictions in the Constitution
itself or in constitutionally authorized
Acts of Congress, to define the moral,
political, and legal character of their lives.
V. In most areas of governmental concern,
State and local governments uniquely
possess the constitutional authority, the
resources, and the competence to discern
the sentiments of the people and
to govern accordingly. In Jefferson’s
words, the States are “the most competent
administrations for our domestic
concerns and the surest bulwarks
against anti-republican tendencies.”
VI. The nature of our constitutional system
encourages a healthy diversity in the public
policies adopted by the people of the several
States according to their own conditions,
needs, and desires. In the search for
enlightened public policy, individual States
and communities are free to experiment
with a variety of approaches to public issues.
VII. Acts of the national government—whether
legislative, executive, or judicial in nature—
that exceed the enumerated powers of that
government under the Constitution violate
the principle of federalism established by
the Founders.
VIII. Polices of the national government should
recognize the responsibility of—and should
encourage opportunities for—individuals,
families, neighborhoods, local governments
and private associations to achieve
their personal, social, and economic objectives
through cooperative effort.
IX. In the absence of clear constitutional or
statutory authority, the presumption of
sovereignty should rest with the individual
States. Uncertainties regarding
the legitimate authority of the national
government should be resolved against
regulation at the national level.
X. These principles should guide the departments
and agencies of the national
government in the formulation and implementation
of policies and regulations.
11
Visit insideronline.org