What are federalism, republicanism, and limited government?
Dwayne Stovall for U.S. Senate, Texas
8 Aug 2013
I have received a few emails asking me to explain federalism, republicanism, and limited government. This is my understanding.
When the Constitution of the United States was debated and ratified, it created a general government; a Republic. This newly formed Republic was based in three principles; federalism, republicanism, and limited government.
FEDERALISM: ALL powers, save those few and enumerated limited powers delegated to the new government by the States, are to be reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Federalism is a mechanism by which power is decentralized and divested from the general government. If adhered to, federalism can stop the tyrannical growth of power.
REPUBLICANISM: This means the citizens of each State will be represented by those they elect. This is required if a government is to be ruled by the governed. The original formula for representation (30,000 citizens per representative), although forgotten in the 20th century, is still in the Constitution. The purpose of that formula was to keep those elected in as close a proximity to the voters as possible. There was no talk of term limits at the time, because it was much harder for a bad elected official to remain in office. The possibility of a citizen personally knowing their representative was much greater. I suggest trying to have a face to face meeting with your congressman. There are over 700,000 of us to each of them.
LIMITED GOVERNMENT: This can best be described as the basis for liberty and freedom. There is one historical truth that cannot be argued; more government = less liberty and freedom. As a government grows, it requires evermore power, and that power can only come from the governed. Whether that power (liberty) is taken forcibly as in Communism, or whether the people vote away their liberty as in socialism, the results are ultimately the same; servitude to an all-powerful elite.
We do not live under the limited general government for which the Constitution created; a Republic based in federalism. What we live under is an unlimited National Government, not supported by the Constitution, but supported by interpretations of basically 20th century unelected, well connected lawyers in robes. Yes, we have declined into a Nation based in socialism.
Make no mistake, regardless of what the Declaration of Independence made clear, the States are in no way independent, much less sovereign. They are nothing more than counties in a Nation State administering the unconstitutional demands of an unlimited National Government; a National Government made up of an elite few, in a town far, far away. Does that sound familiar?
The battle for freedom is upon us. The time is now; today. It is no longer up to the next generation. We Texans have been charged with protecting our liberty, and the liberty of future Texans. If we cannot protect our own, what good are we to the other States? We are Texans! We can do this!
Please join me in the fight to restore federalism and liberty!
In liberty,
Dwayne Stovall
http://www.texansforstovall.com/
