You answer that question with your post about..."A 50 state laboratory would soon decide a lot of things about the consequences of various policies..."
IMHO, that would be a great improvement as we find out which solutions work best and they are mimicked by other States. Public Education has performed anemically since the Feds took control, and removing it from their responsibility would do much to free the States and Localities or dramatic--yet steady--improvement. Then, the best-performing State strategies would be copied and improved upon by other States.
Riparian/watershed issues would still require regional cooperation, but that beats the heck outta a one-size-fits-all, top-down EPA approach that we deal with now.
FReegards...MUD
But all is not lost. Technology works in mysterious and unpredicable ways. I would say the Internet and modern banking methods have led to more rather than less freedom. I think education may soon yield to less centralized control. Abortion is a hard one though. I think I mentioned some unpleasant consequences of 50 different rules governing it - consequences similar to illegal immigration or drug control. If I have the energy I'll try to dig up that post. I'm really curious about your response.
Abortion is one of those fundamental issues like murder or slavery. It's very hard to compromise on it. I think you'd have chaos if abortion was considered murder in one state and ok in its neighbor. We tried that with slavery. Nor do I think anyone wants to dissolve the Union in these times.
The answer, if there is one is more subtle. People on both sides are going to have to realize that we are in a lesser of two evils situation and that there's merit to both sides of the argument. Abortion is a form of murder or something very close to it. But abstinance is a solution that hasn't worked in 10,000 years and won't work now. People will not lose their overwhelming interest in sex. A perfect contraceptive is a much better solution than abortion but it doesn't exist right now. And if it did many religious people would still object to it.
Only if people accept the above, or something similar, as a good description of reality can we hope to find a solution acceptable to most people.
The well-educated and well-to-do
a) have very, very, good contraceptives
b) almost never get into a situation where both the mother and father are crack-addicted deadbeats.
Having the baby is a real option
c) will always be able to find a good abortionist regardless of what the law says