Do you feel the federal government should focus more on foreign affairs and leave the direct influence to the states? Or be more involved?

2016-10-24T00:13:35-04:00

Response by SFC George Smith made Oct 24 at 2016 12:27 AM

2016-10-24T00:27:20-04:00

the Federal government is too much involved in State affairs...

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2016 12:31 AM

2016-10-24T00:31:27-04:00

The federal government should do a lot less then it does now.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Oct 24 at 2016 12:45 AM

2016-10-24T00:45:00-04:00

Leave local issues to the states and to the people.

Response by MAJ Bryan Zeski made Oct 24 at 2016 1:01 AM

2016-10-24T01:01:31-04:00

Do we want, essentially, one country, or 50 smaller ones with a mutual defense pact?

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Oct 24 at 2016 3:43 AM

2016-10-24T03:43:01-04:00

A moderation of both.

Response by PO3 David Fries made Oct 24 at 2016 5:36 AM

2016-10-24T05:36:11-04:00

The individual states were supposed to be the primary driving force in our country. The federal government has become to expansive into individual lives.

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Oct 24 at 2016 7:32 AM

2016-10-24T07:32:49-04:00

I don't have a problem with the Federal Government being involved with internal solutions to our domestic problems. With that being said, I think the pecking order for finding solutions should always be:

1. Private market solutions.
2. Local government (e.g. city, county/parish) intervention.
3. State government intervention.
4. Federal government intervention, only after 1-3 have been shown to fail.

Response by SGT David T. made Oct 24 at 2016 8:16 AM

2016-10-24T08:16:22-04:00

In all honesty it's like walking a tightrope. On one hand they have to manage affairs affecting multiple states and on the other hand they have to deal with foreign affairs. I do think that they should throttle back from using Federal funds to influence state policies. To me that is abusing the intent of the appropriations clause.

Response by Cpl Glynis Sakowicz made Oct 24 at 2016 12:42 PM

2016-10-24T12:42:15-04:00

We have 50 different societies in this country. What works in New Jersey, would never work for New Mexico, and what's best for Texas, probably would horrify people in Oregon. States should have final say in what happens in their domains. Just saying

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2016 1:31 PM

2016-10-24T13:31:16-04:00

What does the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights say? Article I Section VIII has specific enumerations of what the federal government can legislate. The rest is in the 9th and 10th Amendments.

Response by PFC Jim Wheeler made Oct 24 at 2016 3:01 PM

2016-10-24T15:01:02-04:00

Let the states handle most issues until they start infringing upon the rights of the citizens. In those instances (slavery, segregation, marriage equality, etc.) the federal government can, and should, step in to ensure all citizens have the basic rights guaranteed to them in this nation.

On other issues, like education, there has to be some basic guideline that schools in different states follow. If there wasn't, then kids transferring from one state to another would be at a huge disadvantage if the state they came from did not teach anything close to the state they transfer to. There is too much beurocracy in the Dept. Of Education, but fixing it is much more nuanced than many people want to admit.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2016 3:36 PM

2016-10-24T15:36:01-04:00

The Federal government isn't very good at a lot of what it does... that said, it is far more efficient and effective, and less corrupt than State and local government. I'd like to see the power of local government (city and county) governments increased, because those are more directly accountable to the people and the power of the Federal government increased in areas like Education and Health Care regulation because the states (most of them) are just a mess in that regard. Sate government is IMO, the least efficient, most corrupt government we endure.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Oct 25 at 2016 11:16 AM

2016-10-25T11:16:06-04:00

Well I'm not sure if it's just worded in a weird way, but I agree with your second point that the federal government should leave direct influence to the states. I believe the federal government should be focusing in our interests in foreign affairs, but they shouldn't necessarily be getting involved in everyone else's business.

Response by Maj John Bell made Oct 25 at 2016 1:11 PM

2016-10-25T13:11:20-04:00

The Constitution places some issues in the Federal "bag". Everything else belongs to the states. SCOTUS interpretations of the interstate commerce clause and the general welfare clause have (in my opinion, unfortunately) clouded the separation between the two different "bags".