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

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 00:13:35 -0400

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

SFC George Smith — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 00:27:20 -0400

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

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

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 00:31:27 -0400

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

Capt Seid Waddell — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 00:45:00 -0400

Leave local issues to the states and to the people.

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

MAJ Bryan Zeski — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 01:01:31 -0400

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

SrA Edward Vong — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 03:43:01 -0400

A moderation of both.

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

PO3 David Fries — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 05:36:11 -0400

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

LTC Kevin B. — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 07:32:49 -0400

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

SGT David T. — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 08:16:22 -0400

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

Cpl Glynis Sakowicz — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 12:42:15 -0400

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

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 13:31:16 -0400

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

PFC Jim Wheeler — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 15:01:02 -0400

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

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 15:36:01 -0400

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

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 11:16:06 -0400

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

Maj John Bell — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:11:20 -0400

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".