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Quote by: MplsBison  Paul's "return all the power back to the states" platform was too radical to ever be taken seriously by anyone. |
First off, Ron Paul could not do that because of one of the best clauses in the constitution - the Commerce Clause. However, that is not all he wants to do. He wants to shrink government (a good thing), drasitically lower taxes (an even better thing), give more power to the States to run their own affairs, AS LONG AS THEY STAY WITHIN THE CONSTITUTIONAL BOUNDS! The 10th amendment of the constitution specifically states:
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
However every state law needs can not exercise protectionism (equal protection clause), infringe on interstate commerce (interstate commerce), deny any Due Process (Due Process Clause) etc.
Local goverment's are usually better at running the will of what its inhabitants want. He is not advocating complete state authority, because that is not what the constitution states. But he believes in more State control. I agree with him on this.
The only part I disagree with him on is Environmental protection. I think that is too big a problem for the individual states to decide on its own and one State's action can effect other States or even the whole nation! Besides the commerce clause doesn't allow strictly state control over the eviro protection!