Vigilance against government overreach is an essential part of the American DNA. While the federal government retains certain powers according to the Constitution, other powers belong to the states and the People. For nearly two and a half centuries, our nation's success has grown up from the soil of federalism.
Unfortunately, federal agencies have increasingly abused their power. And state-level bureaucracies have sometimes served as vehicles for this federal influence, ultimately subverting the state representatives elected by the people. This translates into very tangible problems for citizens.
To address these problems, The Center for Practical Federalism at State Policy Network has created a Federalism Scorecard ranking all 50 states based on vulnerability to undue federal influence.
So how does North Carolina stack up?
North Carolina and Federalism
North Carolina ranks 16 among all 50 states. That’s not bad, but there’s definitely room for improvement, especially in a state with a self-professed conservative legislature.
The report found that North Carolina’s main weaknesses were (1) not providing injunctive relief for citizens that suffer from state action, (2) not sufficiently ensuring agencies are complying with state laws, and (3) not enough legislative oversight of rules and regulations.
Meanwhile, legislative resources—legislators having the personnel and tools to help them oversee agency activities—were one our state’s biggest strengths.
While this one report does not tell the whole story, it does indicate that North Carolina legislators could make better use of the resources at their disposal to help protect our state from federal and bureaucratic abuse.
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