Chapter 3: What Happened to the Founders’ Vision?
Perry says the tipping point — the period when the federal government began to over-assert its authority — was the dawn of the “so-called Progressive movement.” Ever since, liberals have used every opportunity to “wage a gradual war” on the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court has become a policy maker rather than an interpreter of the Constitution. Passage of the 16th Amendment (allowing Congress to collect an income take without apportioning it among the states) and 17th Amendment (allowing for the direct election of U.S. senators, rather than by state legislatures) further reduced the power of the states. FDR’s New Deal set the standard for federal power abuse. Congress’ interpretation of the Commerce Clause to allow for a wide variety of federal intrusions, including President Obama’s health care reform, has been the nail in the coffin of the proper balance between the feds and the states.