Week in Review: Restoring Faith in Federalism

As civic education continues to slide and the federal government grows outside its bounds, a key pillar of our constitutional republic is now sadly lost on many Americans—the principle of federalism. A new Goldwater Institute report corrects that by offering a blueprint for reigniting a commitment to decentralized power and state sovereignty.

The report, Federalism and State Constitutions, outlines an approach for state lawmakers to revitalize our national awareness and appreciation for federalism. It offers model language they can adopt in their state constitutions mirroring the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution, which says, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

In preparation for the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this important initiative will ensure that Americans in both red and blue states again understand how a commitment to federalism protects liberty for everyone.

Read more here. 

Podcast: This Pastor Rebuilt His Community Without DEI

How did the O-Block, once the most dangerous part of Chicago’s South Side, become what Pastor Corey Brooks now calls the “Opportunity Block”? The transformation wasn’t the result of government DEI initiatives—it was due instead to good, old-fashioned hard work and discipline, Brooks says in the latest episode of the Goldwater Institute’s new Dismantling DEI podcast. Listen here.

Brooks is an advocate of traditional values and a commitment to excellence as the best path to a brighter future for his neighbors—not DEI, which lowers standards, excuses failure, and teaches communities to expect handouts. “Hard work is good, struggle is good, trying to reach a standard to be excellent—those are good things,” he insists.

Brooks and his neighbors transformed their community because they didn’t run away from their problems or expect others to solve them. DEI cannot heal broken families, fix failing schools, or restore hollowed-out neighborhoods. Those problems can only be overcome through hard work, discipline, and perseverance.

Watch Dismantling DEI in its entirety here, or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Saying ‘No’ to Taxpayer-Funded Electioneering 

In their zeal to see voters increase a tax to build an aquatic center and buy new first-responder vehicles, government officials in Uinta County, Wyo., crossed the line—they repeatedly used public resources to campaign for the tax hike. That’s illegal, so this week the Goldwater Institute warned them to stop their taxpayer-funded electioneering.

As part of their effort to increase the tax to pay for over $40 million in government projects, the nonprofit formed by the parks district to campaign for the tax hike used the local rec center—a public building—as its headquarters. And both the parks district and the county fire department used their social media accounts to campaign for the tax hike.

Public employees have the right to engage in private political activities on their own time and with their own resources, but they can’t do so with public resources or in their official capacity as public employees. The Goldwater Institute will continue to ensure that government officials leave politicking to private individuals and organizations.

Read more.