The federal government was to take responsibility for America's relations with foreign states - in Madison's words, "War, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce." The federal government was also to take responsibility for commerce among the American states to provide a nationwide free market that would make possible America's world-changing economic success.
All other governmental powers were to be retained by the individual states that were joining to form the new nation, the United States of America.
Why should the American sovereign, the American people, agree to a bargain in which their state gave up its power to make war and to negotiate treaties with foreign states and other American states? The Founders' argument was that America would be safer and better represented in the world by a federal government than by many individual states operating independently and perhaps at cross purposes.
Because the state governments no longer have a powerful standing body representing their interests within the federal government, the power of the federal government has rapidly grown at the expense of the states.
The powers retained by the states in the original bargain are now usurped by the federal government whenever it decides to and wherever it turns its baleful gaze.
The direct election of members of the House, the selection of senators by the state legislatures, and the selection of the president by the voters state by state was the original bargain.
Its occupant would in effect become the president of the big cities of America, and the last vestiges of autonomy guaranteed the individual states by the Constitution's electoral system in the original bargain would be swept away.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/06/the_forgotten_bargain_that_made_america.html
All other governmental powers were to be retained by the individual states that were joining to form the new nation, the United States of America.
Why should the American sovereign, the American people, agree to a bargain in which their state gave up its power to make war and to negotiate treaties with foreign states and other American states? The Founders' argument was that America would be safer and better represented in the world by a federal government than by many individual states operating independently and perhaps at cross purposes.
Because the state governments no longer have a powerful standing body representing their interests within the federal government, the power of the federal government has rapidly grown at the expense of the states.
The powers retained by the states in the original bargain are now usurped by the federal government whenever it decides to and wherever it turns its baleful gaze.
The direct election of members of the House, the selection of senators by the state legislatures, and the selection of the president by the voters state by state was the original bargain.
Its occupant would in effect become the president of the big cities of America, and the last vestiges of autonomy guaranteed the individual states by the Constitution's electoral system in the original bargain would be swept away.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/06/the_forgotten_bargain_that_made_america.html
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