It's a common refrain in politics today: our nation is "divided," "deeply divided," and "divided and distrustful."
Joe Biden ran his presidential campaign around the idea that he would "unify" this division and heal our country's wounds with top-down dictates from the federal government. And many Americans believed him.
But while it's true that conservatives and liberals do not agree on most things, division isn't our country's real problem.
As Convention of States Action President Mark Meckler explains in a recent Newsmax editorial, the Founders built our country with the expectation that we would be divided. Our federalist system can accommodate division, but it can't accommodate an all-powerful federal government.
The Constitution’s Framers designed our federalist system to accommodate the different regions and cultures that dot our vast country. Even when there were only a handful of states, the founding fathers understood that each region was vastly different in their culture, economy, and beliefs.
Federalism, in other words, is a system of government for people who don’t get along but know they must unite around a basic set of principles in order to maintain international strength.
The founding fathers understood that the true threat to federalism is not disagreements among states, but a runaway central government. They wrote into Article V of the Constitution a mechanism for the states to regain control of this federalist structure if the national government grew too large or abusive.
What's the solution? Limit the power, scope, and jurisdiction of the federal government.
That way, Americans in Texas can live as they wish, and Americans in California can do the same. They may not agree with one another, but they can live together in the same country because the federal government isn't constantly threatening top-down policies driven by one party or the other. Citizens in every state will have the freedom to create laws at the state level without fear of federal overreach.
Of course, the federal government will never willingly give up power. But there is a solution, and it's written in the Constitution itself. As Mark explains,
That’s why they included in Article V of the Constitution a way for the states—not Congress—to call a "convention for proposing amendments," also known as a Convention of States.
It takes 34 states to call a Convention, which can be limited to specific topics like term limits, restricting federal overreach, and mandating fiscal responsibility.
Once amendments are proposed, 38 states must ratify amendments before they become part of the Constitution.
There are teams in each state working towards calling the first-ever Article V Convention of States. To join your team, sign the petition below!
