The reason we are in the mess we are in is because of the Supreme Court, that sucker needs to be defanged along with every other politically activist federal court. We need some Constitutional Amendment to put this beast in chains.
You are absolutely right of course, but the the last time states tried to take a stand for their rights against ever expanding government tyranny they were beaten down by brutal force. Ever since that time this beast has been gobbling up the Constitutional rights of states and individuals and more recently at an alarming rate. It has become drunk with power and will willingly yield none of it.
While you are right about the courts being a big problem, I think an even bigger problem is the way the state and federal governments have developed an unhealthy symbiotic relationship based on money. In other words, the federal government uses money to create state dependence and the threat of withdrawing it to force compliance. Very "democRATic". The only thing that is likely to make any inroads towards the end of releasing the stranglehold of the federal government over the states is the abolition of the federal income tax. If more money stays in the hands of the people and the states, then perhaps they could be weaned from the government teat. It's a big "if" though.