On federalism, the health care debate, and its implications for our Union

I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of our Union. For over half a century, our federal government has been growing almost constantly. As its size and scope increase, it reaches farther and farther into our lives. We are a long way from what I believe our founding fathers intended when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. As Patrick Henry said, "the Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government--lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."

Over my next few posts, I plan to examine the idea that the federal government has grown beyond any semblance of controllability by the people. I'll look at the causes of this growth, and its effects on our nation and our society. I'll propose some possible solutions to the problem, and discuss their viability. After that, I'll talk about how the current debate over health care factors into the equation.