[Old Teufel Hunden]

"If the power of the state is derived from the people (and the power of the federal state derived from the people and the states), the people have the right to determine whether the nation government is serving thier interests and, failing other remedies (see the earlier link to Madisions Essay) may remove themselves from the union."

However, the states entered into a compact to form the union. To follow your reasoning then if enough people in the state of Virginia decided that they no longer wished to be a state they could disolve the state of Virginia? After all, what you are applying to the Union government should certainly apply to the State government. What we would have is anarchy. I think that post 183 is a nice summation and interesting. I'll await his dissertation on Federalist #47.

[An.American.Expatriate]

I'll await his dissertation on Federalist #47.

Me too! :D

As to the premise of leaving Virginia - the consitution is more or less silent here, other than to guarantee a repubican form of government, it says little on what powers the people / a state has within the state. Therefore, what I state does NOT apply to a state government per se (although it gernally does in practice - it depends on what powers the people granted to the state ...).

Anarchy - yes! Desirable - no! Allowed - that seems to be the question :D