Conservatives Corner believes conservatism rests on three main pillars: Biblical Precedent, Natural Law, and Federalism Obviously, there are many more philosophies that support the principles of conservatism, but Conservatives Corner believes these three pillars hold the most weight.
Federalism is a system of government, which consists of two parallel governing bodies: central and regional. The United States did not invent the idea of federalism, but James Madison’s exposition of it in Federalist No. 39 is perhaps the most thorough and articulate explanation.
The American Founders took great pains to limit governmental power in any particular body or group of people. So, they developed a centralized federal government, and several state governments. Each was intended to serve specific functions, but at the founding of the United States, regional governments exercised far more power and held more responsibilities than the central federal government. However, in the 20th century, president Franklin Roosevelt’s progressive agenda, The New Deal, swung the pendulum of power away from the states and towards the federal government. “New Federalism” is a contemporary interpretation of federalism with the primary objective of relieving the federal government of much of its power. As a conservative, president Ronald Reagan championed this return of power to the states, and promoted an originalist understanding of federalism.
Federalism is a bedrock principle of conservatism, and it reflects the wisdom of the Founding Fathers to devise a system, which reduces government overreach. Federalism has experienced a number of different applications, but conservatives seek to revive James Madison’s exposition of it during the founding of America in the late 18th century. Based in the spirit of biblical precedent, but reasoned with the philosophy of Natural Law, federalism is the most direct application of self-preservation of the individual, as well as society at large.
TERMS TO REMEMBER:
James Madison
Limited Government
Originalism