Federalism, defined as respect for state and local governments, has long been a cornerstone of the conservative movement in this country. Conservatives have criticized liberal initiatives to expand the federal government's role — from the New Deal to civil rights to Medicare, Medicaid and environmental regulation to the Affordable Care Act — as usurping the responsibilities of state and local governments. President Ronald Reagan explained his federal budget cuts as “returning power to the states and communities.”
The Trump administration, however, has abandoned any semblance of coherent support for federalism in very much the same way as it has rejected other conservative articles of faith, such as free trade. If not checked by other Republicans, this administration will do lasting damage both to our system of divided sovereignty and to the credibility of conservatives' pro-federalism positions for years to come.
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