THE WASHINGTON UNION PAPERS: NO. 33

FEDERALISM & NATIONAL STRENGTH: BALANCING STATE RIGHTS & UNITY

To the People of the United States,

A nation divided against itself cannot stand, but a nation where power is concentrated in the hands of the few will crumble under the weight of its own corruption. This is not speculation—it is historical fact. The collapse of Rome, the fall of the Soviet Union, the disintegration of once-mighty empires—all were marked by the same fatal flaw: an overcentralization of power that suffocated local governance and left the people as mere spectators to their own decline. The genius of the American experiment was never in centralized authority nor in isolated independence—it was in the balance between the two. A republic where Washington’s reach is checked by the strength of its states, where national unity is forged not through force, but through cooperation, where sovereignty is not the privilege of a ruling class, but the inherent right of the people.

Federalism was designed to ensure that national unity did not come at the cost of individual liberty, that state sovereignty did not devolve into chaos, and that the republic would be strong not because power was hoarded in Washington, but because it was shared. And yet, we now find ourselves at a crossroads where this balance has been lost, where the federal government overreaches, where state governments falter, and where the people are left to suffer under the failures of both. Washington dictates mandates from on high, treating the states as administrative provinces rather than co-equal partners in governance. Meanwhile, states, instead of asserting their rightful role as defenders of local interests, have either submitted to federal control or wielded their sovereignty irresponsibly, turning state governance into a political battleground rather than a force for pragmatic reform.

Ronald Reagan once declared, "Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." And yet, Washington has forgotten this fundamental truth. The federal government was never meant to be the all-powerful overseer of every economic, social, and political issue within the states. It was meant to provide a framework for national cohesion, ensuring the protection of rights, the defense of borders, and the regulation of interstate commerce. But what has it become? A bloated bureaucracy that dictates school curriculums, regulates businesses into submission, siphons wealth from the states, and wields executive orders like imperial decrees. It has become a machine of self-preservation, a behemoth that consumes more and more power while producing less and less for the people who fund it.

And yet, the failures of Washington do not absolve the states of their own abdication of responsibility. Many state governments, rather than stepping up to fill the void left by federal incompetence, have turned governance into little more than an extension of the same political gamesmanship that plagues the nation’s capital. They have allowed their economies to be dictated by corporate interests, their legal systems to be bogged down in endless litigation, their policies to be determined not by the needs of their people, but by the partisan warfare that renders so many legislative bodies impotent. Instead of leading, they have retreated into ideological fortresses, prioritizing the next election over the next generation.

James Madison, the architect of the Constitution, warned against this very outcome when he wrote in The Federalist No. 10: "The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished." The instability of our time is not caused by federalism itself—it is caused by the perversion of its principles. It is caused by a federal government that sees no limits to its power and state governments that refuse to challenge it. It is caused by an electorate that has been conditioned to believe that the only solutions come from Washington, rather than from their own communities, their own legislatures, their own ability to govern themselves.

Federalism is not an obstacle to progress; it is the key to unlocking it. The solution is not more centralization, more federal control, more power hoarded in the hands of a ruling elite. The solution is the revival of a system where power is distributed, where innovation is encouraged at the state level, where local solutions are not only possible but preferable to distant mandates. The solution is a renewed commitment to the principles of governance that made this republic strong in the first place: the belief that government exists to serve, not to rule, that the best decisions are made closest to the people they affect, and that no nation can long endure when it forgets that power, once centralized, will never be willingly surrendered.

If this republic is to survive, it will not be because Washington finally came to its senses. It will be because the states reclaimed their rightful place in the balance of power, because local governments refused to be ruled by dysfunction, because the people demanded a return to the federalism that once made this nation great. The choice is upon us: restore the balance, or watch as the very foundation of the American experiment is eroded into irrelevance. The people must decide. The states must act. And Washington must remember that it was never meant to rule—it was meant to serve.

For too long, Washington has treated the states not as co-equal partners in governance, but as mere administrative districts, stripping them of their autonomy while demanding their obedience. Federal overreach has become the norm, dictating policy to the states under the guise of national interest while ignoring the diverse needs of the people they claim to serve. But the answer is not secession, nor is it blind allegiance to an overbearing central authority. The answer is the restoration of a true federal system—one that strengthens both national unity and state sovereignty, one that ensures that neither Washington nor the states abuse their authority, one that reclaims the balance that was always meant to define this republic.

The strength of America does not come from Washington alone—it comes from its states, its cities, its people. The Founders knew this. Thomas Jefferson wrote that "our country is too large to have all its affairs directed by a single government." Alexander Hamilton, though a champion of national power, also warned that "the accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny." They understood that national strength comes not from centralization, but from cooperation—a system where the federal government handles national concerns while the states remain free to govern themselves in accordance with their own needs.

This balance must be restored. It must be reinforced through clear limits on federal authority, ensuring that Washington cannot dictate policies that belong in the hands of state legislatures. The federal government was never meant to micromanage the daily lives of its citizens, nor was it meant to dictate the economic, social, or legal structures of the states. Its role was to defend the republic, regulate commerce between the states, and ensure that fundamental liberties were protected. But over time, it has transformed into a bloated bureaucracy that sees no limit to its reach, an empire ruling from its marble halls, convinced that it alone holds the wisdom to govern a nation of over 300 million people. This is the mindset of tyranny, not democracy, and it must be dismantled before the republic collapses under its weight.

It must be strengthened by states reclaiming their economic independence, their control over their industries, their ability to foster local economies that are not at the mercy of federal bureaucrats and multinational corporations. The idea that economic prosperity is dictated from Washington is a lie that has been sold to the American people for generations. The reality is that economic power belongs to those who build, produce, and create—not to unelected officials, corporate lobbyists, or entrenched career politicians who have never worked a day outside of government. The states have every right to chart their own economic course, to reject federal overreach that stifles innovation, to enact policies that prioritize the well-being of their own workers rather than the profit margins of global conglomerates.

Ronald Reagan once stated, "The federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government." And yet, Washington behaves as though it is the master of the states rather than their servant. This inversion of power has led to a system where state economies are shackled by federal mandates, where local industries are crushed under regulations written by bureaucrats who have never set foot in the communities they control. If the states wish to reclaim their rightful place in governance, they must do so first by asserting their economic sovereignty. They must create their own financial institutions, invest in their own industries, and refuse to let Washington dictate the terms of their prosperity. If federal policies hinder economic growth, the states must resist them. If multinational corporations dictate terms that benefit only the elite while leaving workers to suffer, the states must intervene. If Washington insists on regulating industries into oblivion, the states must build economic models that operate outside its grip.

It must be secured by a new understanding—that federal power must serve the people, not rule over them, and that state sovereignty must be used for governance, not political gamesmanship. Federalism is not a tool for partisan maneuvering. It is not an excuse for states to obstruct progress, nor is it a shield for the federal government to wield selectively, tightening its grip when convenient while abandoning responsibility when it does not serve its interests. Federalism is the foundation of a government that works. It ensures that no single entity can hoard power, that no ruling class can dictate the future without the consent of the governed. But this system has been corrupted. The federal government has overstepped its bounds, and too many state leaders have been complicit, using their sovereignty not to govern effectively, but to play political games while their people suffer.

The time has come to reassert the fundamental truth that government exists to serve, not to rule. It exists to protect liberty, not to dictate every aspect of economic and personal life. The states must step up, not as adversaries to the union, but as the stewards of their own people. They must reject the idea that all wisdom resides in Washington, and instead govern according to the needs of their communities. And if Washington refuses to relinquish the power it has stolen, then the states must seize it back, not through rhetoric, not through negotiation, but through decisive action that reclaims their rightful authority.

The days of centralized control must end. The future of this republic depends on states standing firm, not as passive subjects, but as active participants in governance. If Washington will not respect its limits, then it must be reminded of them. If it will not serve the people, then it must be made to. And if it refuses to recognize the sovereignty of the states, then the states must force it to. The balance must be restored, the power must be reclaimed, and the people must remember that they were never meant to be ruled—they were meant to be free.

And yet, unity is not found in division. It is not enough to demand state sovereignty if that sovereignty is used to undermine the very fabric of the nation. A republic cannot stand if its states become fractured, competing fiefdoms disconnected from one another. National strength requires unity—not uniformity, not blind allegiance, but a shared commitment to the principles that bind this country together. If states are to reclaim their rights, they must do so not to divide the union, but to strengthen it. The goal is not separatism—it is empowerment. The states must work together, not against one another. They must build coalitions that uplift, not isolate. They must lead, not retreat. And the federal government must recognize that its purpose is not to dictate, but to coordinate, to serve as the unifying force, not the oppressive master.

The Washington Union Party understands this balance. It does not seek to destroy federal authority—it seeks to restore its proper role. This is not an argument for dismantling the republic, nor is it a call for blind allegiance to the inefficiency of Washington. It is a demand for a return to the system that made America strong: a republic in which federal power is wielded with restraint, and where state sovereignty is a tool for governance, not division. The crisis we face today is not a battle between the federal government and the states, but a struggle between those who believe in the Constitution’s original vision and those who have twisted it into a mechanism of unchecked control.

It does not advocate for state power at the cost of national unity—it demands that state power be used to reinforce national strength, not undermine it. The greatest threat to the republic is not the assertion of state authority, but the misuse of it. Too often, states have been reduced to political instruments, wielded by party operatives to obstruct rather than to govern. Federalism was never meant to be a partisan tool—it was meant to be the structure by which states and the federal government work in concert to secure the prosperity of the nation. States must not retreat into isolationism, nor should they wield their power as a means of defying national cohesion. Instead, they must serve as the engines of innovation, economic independence, and self-governance, proving that national strength comes not from the concentration of power, but from its proper distribution.

It does not seek chaos—it seeks a new order, where the federal government protects national security, guarantees individual liberties, and defends the republic, while the states govern in accordance with the needs of their people. The Constitution was designed to prevent tyranny in all its forms, whether it be the overreach of federal power or the lawlessness of states acting as independent fiefdoms. This delicate balance is not a relic of the past—it is the foundation of a functioning republic. Yet Washington has abandoned its rightful role as the guarantor of national security and liberty, choosing instead to interfere where it has no jurisdiction while failing where it is needed most. It stumbles in foreign affairs, mismanages national defense, and erodes constitutional rights, all while attempting to regulate the minutiae of daily life that should be left to local governance.

The Washington Union Party seeks to restore order, to reestablish the principles that guided this nation to greatness. It does not call for rebellion—it calls for renewal. It does not seek destruction—it seeks discipline. It envisions a republic in which the federal government is strong where it must be—in defending the nation, upholding the Constitution, and maintaining the rule of law—while leaving to the states that which is rightly theirs: economic policy, education, infrastructure, law enforcement, and social governance tailored to the needs of their people. This is not radical. This is American federalism as it was meant to be.

Justice Louis Brandeis once described the states as "laboratories of democracy," recognizing that true innovation and governance should be tested and refined at the local level rather than dictated from above. That truth has been obscured by decades of consolidation, by a Washington establishment that believes its role is to dictate rather than to serve. The Washington Union Party stands against this perversion of the system. It is not content to complain about federal overreach while doing nothing to stop it. It is not interested in political grandstanding. It is committed to a restructuring of government that ensures power is returned to the people—not as a privilege, but as a birthright.

The only path forward is one that restores balance. The states must rise—not in defiance of the union, but in defense of it. The federal government must be reformed—not to rule, but to protect. And the people must reclaim their rightful place—not as subjects of an overreaching bureaucracy, but as the sovereign force that determines the fate of this republic. The Washington Union Party does not merely recognize these truths—it is built upon them. This is the path to national renewal. The only question left is whether America has the courage to take it.

The time has come to reject the false choice between federal tyranny and state anarchy. The time has come to demand a government that serves, not rules. The time has come to reclaim the balance that made this nation great, to ensure that both state and federal power are wielded not for the benefit of the elite, but for the people who have too long been ignored, exploited, and disenfranchised.

Federalism is not an obstacle to national strength—it is the foundation of it. It is the bedrock upon which this republic was built, the principle that has safeguarded liberty from the overreach of centralized rule, and the mechanism through which the people govern themselves rather than being governed from above. It was federalism that allowed this nation to grow, to innovate, to evolve without succumbing to the bureaucratic stagnation that has crushed other great powers throughout history. And yet, the ruling class in Washington has sought to undo this balance, to reduce the states to mere extensions of federal authority, to strip the people of their ability to shape their own futures. This is not governance—it is consolidation. This is not leadership—it is control. And it must be confronted with the full force of a people who refuse to be ruled.

The states must rise, not to divide, but to strengthen. The architects of American federalism understood that true unity is not found in uniformity, that a republic is strongest when its states retain the power to govern according to their own needs. Thomas Jefferson warned that "the concentrating of all powers into one body is the great enemy of liberty." And yet, Washington has done just that. It has eroded state sovereignty under the guise of national unity, treating local governance as an obstacle rather than an asset. But the states were never meant to be vassals of the federal government. They were meant to be partners in the preservation of liberty, the engines of economic growth, the laboratories of democracy that keep this nation innovative and responsive to the will of its people. The Washington Union Party understands this. It stands not for the destruction of the union, but for its renewal through the empowerment of its states.

The federal government must be reformed, not to rule, but to serve. It must be stripped of the illusion that national strength comes from centralized control, reminded that its only legitimate function is to protect the liberties of the people and uphold the constitutional order. The Washington Union Party does not seek to burn Washington to the ground—it seeks to rebuild it into what it was always meant to be: a government of service, not domination. It seeks to rein in federal overreach, to ensure that power flows from the people upward, not from bureaucrats downward. It demands an end to the stranglehold of special interests, the dismantling of regulatory bodies that serve only the elite, and the restoration of a federal government that acts as a safeguard for liberty, not as an oppressor of it.

And the people must reclaim their rightful place—not as subjects of a distant power, but as the true rulers of this republic. A free people do not wait for permission to act. They do not wait for a corrupt government to reform itself. They do not ask for their rights to be respected—they demand it. The American people have for too long been conditioned to believe that their power is limited to the ballot box once every few years, that their influence is nothing more than a statistic on election night. This is the great lie of modern democracy. The power of the people is not given—it is inherent. And it is through their direct action, through their engagement in state and local governance, through their refusal to be mere spectators in their own republic, that they will reclaim what has been stolen from them.

The time for waiting is over. The time for action is now. Let those who believe in the future of this nation stand together—not as servants of Washington, not as isolated states, but as a union of free and sovereign people committed to the ideals of liberty, justice, and strength. The Washington Union Party does not ask for passive support—it calls for a movement, for the awakening of a people who have for too long been asleep to the power they hold. This is not about party politics. This is not about left or right. This is about who governs this nation: the people, or the ruling class. It is about whether this republic endures, or whether it becomes another failed empire, crushed under the weight of its own corruption.

This is the path forward. The only question left is: who has the courage to take it?