State Sovereignty
The Constitution of the United States is clear: all powers not delegated to the national government are left to the states. Article I specifies the particular powers that belong to Congress–and thus are within the authority of the federal government. The Tenth Amendment reiterates this point.
According to the Constitution–our most fundamental law–most government power, including nearly all domestic government power belongs to the states and not to the federal government.
This leaves the states sovereign. They are legitimate governments representing their own people. They can make laws, carry them out, and be held accountable for their results.
Diminishing state sovereignty makes it less clear who in government is responsible, which makes it harder for voters to hold anyone accountable. That may benefit certain bureaucracies, but it harms democracy.
Restoring state sovereignty should be a priority for anyone hoping to restore trust in our institutions. Voters in each state should have the power to steer their politics–within constitutional limits–as they see fit. They should know who is responsible for the basic public policies that most affect their lives. And they should be able to hold specific elected officials accountable for their results.