[Political Junkie Too]

Breaking up all of the too-large states would increase both the accountability and efficiency of the U.S. government.

This author has it backwards. It's the states to which the federal government should be accountable, not the other way around.

The states were to be the governing bodies of day-to-day laws and civil society. The federal government was only created to oversee interstate issues, the common defense, and foreign affairs on behalf of all the states.

So what are state governments particularly good at? Nothing, really. They interfere in local government, cripple the federal government, shake down lobbyists and waste taxpayer money.

That's because the federal government usurped the natural role of the state governments. Since the passing of the 17th amendment, the states no longer have any control over the federal government.

The federal government takes taxes from the states, then passes unfunded mandates back onto the states, and then makes the states come begging for money from the federal government, money which should have never left the states in the first place.

-PJ

[cripplecreek]

The federal government takes taxes from the states, then passes unfunded mandates back onto the states, and then makes the states come begging for money from the federal government, money which should have never left the states in the first place.

Exactly. The feds use our money to exert control. For instance, Obama will only give Michigan $250 million for infrastructure on this end of the international trade crossing bridge if our governor gives $100 million of it to union pension funds. Its something we could easily fund on our own if it weren't for all the money taken by the feds in the first place.