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Category: Federalism
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Published: Tuesday, 10 July 2007
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Written by Frank Holland
With a federal government tripped up by war, deficit and paralysis, is it time for the states to reassert their "vertical check" and regain balance? The better question is "How?"
Few political relationships stay the same over time. Partnerships grow stronger and weaker depending on the issues and personalities involved; some fall apart on a roll call vote. Institutional relationships like the United States' federal partnership are rarely quick to change. But change they do, and few would argue that the relationship between the states and Washington has remained static over the past 220 years.
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Category: Federalism
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Published: Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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Written by PT Editors
Working Out the Differences
If the states' reaction to REAL ID is any indication, America's "laboratories of democracy" may be gearing up for a fight. When 33 states—and counting—begin to openly defy Capitol Hill, Congress must take note.
Seeing a storm on the horizon, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is poised to push legislation repealing the 2005 REAL ID act. Not only has the post-9/11 legislation strained the already tenuous state-federal partnership, but it is also testing powerhouse organizations like the ACLU, which would happily cheer its quick demise.
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