The current American system of government, the one created by our Constitution, was formed out of thirteen sovereign states. Among all the myriad threats to our liberty, the disintegration of the independent rights of state governments is, in many ways, the most dangerous threat. "States' rights" has gotten a bad name. This vital principle of American government has been linked to Dixiecrat racism and thug rule by local bosses. The reality is very different. States are the best agents for protecting the rights of minorities. The mashing of states into lifeless appendages of the federal government poses dangers for freedom...