Rediscovering our Love for Big, Powerful, Centralized Government

Amidst all the brouhaha of Senator Ted Cruz filibustering Obamacare, Senator Harry Reid responding by labeling tea-partiers as anarchists, and the resulting government shutdown, it’s easy to forget that Constitutional conservatives enjoy a love for big, powerful, centralized government that’s second to none.

After all, since we Constitutional conservatives so often claim affinity for the Founding Fathers, we should remember that they drafted the Constitution as a response to the weak and highly ineffective Articles of Confederation. States wouldn’t pay back the war debt incurred by the recent Revolution, and Congress didn’t possess the power to make them do so. As inter-state bickering began to set in, civic strife and anarchy were legitimate possibilities. By enacting the Constitution, our Founders hoped to salvage our foundering republic by creating a government actually worthy of the name. And what sort of character did that government exhibit? Let’s take a quick look at the Federalist Papers:

Big– (Federalist #10) Geographically speaking, a bigger government is preferable to a smaller government, because tyrants have often had an easier time implementing their nefarious designs in smaller localities where citizens have no recourse to higher authorities. But in our expansive system of checks and balances, any individual citizen has multiple resources at his disposal to repel tyranny: his city, state, and national government.

Powerful–(Federalist #15) Unfortunately, while the Articles of Confederation tasked Congress with the duty of collecting taxes, they gave it no real legislative power to do so. The new Constitution would ensure that from now on, law would no longer be merely a polite recommendation, but a forceful injunction backed by real repercussions for failure to comply.

Centralized–(Federalist #30) Simply put, if the National Congress does not have the power to raise taxes, our nation is sunk: “A complete power, therefore, to procure a regular and adequate supply of revenue, as far as the resources of the community will permit, may be regarded as an indispensable ingredient in every constitution.”

Senator Reid, I just don’t think you appreciate the irony when you accuse vociferous conservatives and Tea Partiers of anarchy. The Constitution they support, by giving power where power is due, is what saved our nascent nation from actual anarchy. It still grants that same power today, but it also continues to protect us against governmental overreach from legislators who disdain limits, and maybe that’s where your real problem lies.