A Less Perfect Union: The Case for States' Rights

Adam Freedman, a conservative commentator on constitutional law, presents a history of states' rights and argues for their importance in contemporary America. Freedman contends that while some view states' rights arguments as masking racist policies, the doctrine historically represents an honorable tradition essential to constitutional government and the protection of American freedoms. He argues that the Constitution is primarily designed to restrain federal power and protect state sovereignty, yet the federal government has increasingly usurped rights belonging to the states. In A Less Perfect Union, Freedman traces the development of states' rights from the constitutional convention through the Civil War, the New Deal, and into the present day. He observes growing support for states' rights across the political spectrum in Congress and state capitals. Freedman advocates for a return to states' rights as a means to protect America, check federal overreach, reduce the influence of special interests in Washington, and restore the Founders' vision of a system in which states can independently address the health, safety, and economic needs of their citizens without federal interference and bureaucratic constraints.