Federal Hegemony

One reason people should be wary of government is the power it possesses. An unruly neighbor, an offensive employer, an insensitive clerk; none of of these can deprive you of your liberty. While some private institutions such as a bank, can deprive you of your property, this is only possible through the law; and law is made by the goverment. No private enterprise that I am aware of can deprive you of your liberty. The government can. The government can take everything you own and put you in prison. Though the government can only do what the law allows it to do, this is of little solace since it makes the law. What it cannot do today, it could do tomorrow. That was why the Constitution was written; to limit what the federal government can do rather than states or municipalities. The further decisions are made from the people affected by the law, the less control people have over it, and the less responsive government is. An oppressive local government is easier to remedy than an oppressive national government. Even taking the horrors of Jim Crow into account, we have less to fear from local goverment than federal government. If all else fails, it is easier to find a new town or state than a new country.