Richman 1

Grant Richman

Mr. Keller

A.P. Government

8 September 2015

The Merits of the Federal System Questions

1. Bryce's opinion about the states ability to experiment without danger to the whole

foreshadows Louis Brandeis' characterization of the states as “laboratories of

democracy.” Is this still a significant part of federalism in the late twenty-first

century? Given the expansion in federal responsibilities and the growth of

regulations and federal agencies, are states and localities still important players in

the American governing scheme?

While reading, James Bryce states that the states can experiment without endangering the

national government. I believe that this is still a significant part of federalism today. The topic of

marijuana legalization comes to my mind when talking about what Bryce said. While some states

have legalized it, the national government hasn’t yet. Since the states are experimenting with

legalizing it, it is not endangering the national government just yet. This is the same with gay

marriage. Before the national government legalized gay marriage, states were experimenting with it

earlier. I believe that states and localities are still important players in the American governing

scheme. I say this because without state government experimenting, the national government

wouldn’t know whether some things are successes or some are failures.

Richman 2

2. Bryce notes that federalism allows local governments to experiment in legislation

and administration without risking the fate of the nation as a whole. Is this kind of

separation necessarily good? Does Bryce overlook many of the costs of federalism?

I believe that allowing the states to experiment in legislation and administration without

risking the fate of the nation is a good thing. I think that this kind of separation is good because if

the states make a decision and it is not a good one, they can just amend it and in the future, states

would know not to do that. Since the states can create their own laws, they could create a law that

the national government hasn’t even thought of yet. I do not think that Bryce overlooks many of the

costs of federalism.