How do Buchanan's ideas on states' rights apply today?
The principle of states' rights, as I understood it, remains a cornerstone of our federal system. The Constitution establishes a balance of power, wherein the rights of the States are as sacred as those of the Federal Government. Today, questions regarding the balance of authority between Washington and the individual states, concerning matters ranging from economic regulation to social policy, echo these fundamental debates. My conviction was that local determinations, within constitutional bounds, often best serve the interests and will of the populace, and that the federal government should not overstep its enumerated powers.
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