Morning Bell: The End of Federalism
Conn Carroll /
Addressing Congress on the State of the Union, President Ronald Reagan told the American people in 1982:
Our citizens feel they’ve lost control of even the most basic decisions made about the essential services of government, such as schools, welfare, roads, and even garbage collection. And they’re right. A maze of interlocking jurisdictions and levels of government confronts average citizens in trying to solve even the simplest of problems. They don’t know where to turn for answers, who to hold accountable, who to praise, who to blame, who to vote for or against. The main reason for this is the overpowering growth of Federal grants-in-aid programs during the past few decades.
Reagan not only talked about reviving federalism … he did it. Under President Jimmy Carter the percentage of state expenditures coming from federal funds rose to 35.4%. Reagan lowered that number to 24.9%. Unfortunately, under President George H.W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, and President George Bush that number shot up again; reaching 42.5% in 2005. But now with President Barack Obama in power, wielding his $787 billion stimulus package, state dependency on the federal government has reached a historic new height. USA Today reports: “In a historic first, Uncle Sam has supplanted sales, property and income taxes as the biggest source of revenue for state and local governments.”