“Many people view federalism as the great triumph of the American system — as one of the foundations for the economic growth, freedom and prosperity that citizens of the United States enjoy. And, this might well have been true — between 1776 and 1861. But after the Civil War, federalism has lived on in name only, because the Civil War functionally abolished the right of secession. And in the absence of secession, the relationship between state governments and the federal government is no different than the relationship between city governments and state governments — not a symbiotic relationship, but a subservient one.” (07/02/09)