As politicians and pundits try to move public opinion on an extremely close presidential election, much of that discussion posits that the presidential election creates an existential crisis for the nation. But, voters, pundits, and elected officials themselves should embrace a healthier and more constitutionally grounded alternative to the current rhetoric — one that recognizes the important impact the election has while elevating the principle of federalism as an antidote to electoral existential dread.
The U.S. Constitution, properly understood, presents just such an alternative. In this way, the president’s power is limited because the federal government itself is limited in its functions. The essential feature of the Constitution is its specific enumeration of the powers and responsibilities of the national government, which are “few and defined.” This leaves the…
