Obama Era And American Federalism

Obama Era And American Federalism

The “country” (by which Obama means the federal government) didn't fail the people of New Orleans. Mayor Ray Naggin? and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco? failed the people of New Orleans. In this country we believe in local control. We were founded as a national of individualist? and we didn't believe that a nation of individuals could be run effectively with decisions being made by one central governing body. So we have a nation made up of sovereign states which themselves are divided into smaller governing bodies (counties? cities? etc.). This allowed each locality to effectively make the decisions best for that locality without necessarily cramming those decisions down the throats of those living in other localities for whom those decisions may not be best.

We? the Americans are? after all? a large and diverse nation with a plethora of opinions and values. The idea of governing to everyone's satisfaction from Washington D.C. is absurd. But back to the point? with local decision-making power comes local responsibility. (Steve, 2008) In the Katrina situation the local powers-that-be failed those responsibilities miserably? and then tried to pass the buck on to the federal level. Which they were largely successful at given that they had a sympathetic press corps at their disposal who just happens to harbor a visceral dislike of of the current President. Were there problems with the federal response to Katrina? Sure. But we should be asking ourselves why we're counting on federal authorities to respond to local weather disasters when that sort of response could be organized and executed so much more effectively on the local level.

Obama doesn't ask that question? he just panders. Because like most liberals he doesn't adhere to the principles of federalism. He adheres to the big-government? quasi-socialist teachings of big-government liberalism. (Steve, 2008)

Barack Obama? Federalism? and a Winning Coalition Barack Obama's community organizing The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Chicago gives him a special opportunity to expand his base of support to include the millions of Republican and Independent voters who identify closely with the principles of federalism. Federalism? a founding precept an order? writ? warrant? or process. An order or direction? emanating from authority? to an officer or body of officers? commanding that officer or those officers to do some act within the scope ...