Via Cato Institute
Extracto do artigo:
FEDERALISM AND INDIVIDUAL SOVEREIGNITY
James M. Buchanan [negros meus]
James M. Buchanan [negros meus]
I have been both surprised and disturbed by two sources of opposition
to efforts to move toward federalist structures in which political
authority is divided between levels of government. I refer, first, to
the opposition in Europe, mainly in Britain, to movements toward
effective European federalism. Second, I refer to the successful agitation
that blocked the proposed Conference of the States in the United
States in 1995. What is disturbing about these sources of opposition
to the very idea of political federalism is that both emerge from
groups that are identified variously to be right-wing, conservative, or
libertarian. We should not, of course, be surprised at all by socialist inspired
opposition to the federalist idea and ideal. Socialists have
been and remain forthright in their desire to extend the range of
politicized control over the lives and liberties of persons. But why
should conservatives, classical liberals, or libertarians join socialists in
opposing structural reforms that embody federalist principles?
I suggest that a coherent classical liberal must be generally supportive
of federal political structures, because any division of authority
must, necessarily, tend to limit the potential range of political coercion.
Those persons and groups who oppose the devolution of authority
from the central government to the states in the United States and
those who oppose any limits on the separate single nation-states in
modern Europe are, by these commitments, placing other values
above those of the liberty and sovereignty of individuals.
to efforts to move toward federalist structures in which political
authority is divided between levels of government. I refer, first, to
the opposition in Europe, mainly in Britain, to movements toward
effective European federalism. Second, I refer to the successful agitation
that blocked the proposed Conference of the States in the United
States in 1995. What is disturbing about these sources of opposition
to the very idea of political federalism is that both emerge from
groups that are identified variously to be right-wing, conservative, or
libertarian. We should not, of course, be surprised at all by socialist inspired
opposition to the federalist idea and ideal. Socialists have
been and remain forthright in their desire to extend the range of
politicized control over the lives and liberties of persons. But why
should conservatives, classical liberals, or libertarians join socialists in
opposing structural reforms that embody federalist principles?
I suggest that a coherent classical liberal must be generally supportive
of federal political structures, because any division of authority
must, necessarily, tend to limit the potential range of political coercion.
Those persons and groups who oppose the devolution of authority
from the central government to the states in the United States and
those who oppose any limits on the separate single nation-states in
modern Europe are, by these commitments, placing other values
above those of the liberty and sovereignty of individuals.
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