published in Jacobin
The COVID-19 pandemic has shook up what many of us had though about Federalism and the powers granted to States. On one hand, a well-executed federal response would have been the most powerful action to fight the spread of the virus. On the other hand, because the federal government was horribly inept, the States had the power and authority to battle the disease. Philip Rocco reviews a new book by Daniel Allen, "The Divided States of America: Why Federalism Doesn't Work" which tackles these difficult questions.
1346 days ago