The men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 held well-defined views on republican government, the problems with the Articles of Confederation, and the challenges confronting the young nation.  A national government was proposed, and much of the deliberation centered on how to define the allocation of governing authority between this new national government and that of each of the several states.  Back then, states meant everything.  It was how people identified themselves.  Drawing the line between state and national power was what the Constitutional Convention was all about.  It was understood that there needed to be some form of a central national government but that it should be limited in respect to state governance.  And true to form, our Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution with the proper checks and balances to protect the sovereignty of the states and to limit the powers of a central national government.

Two centuries later, we still need a central government to provide a common defense, security of liberty, and general welfare.  However, we are an ever-increasing diverse group of states with many different ways of thinking and living.  Thank goodness for that – it is one of the things that make us unique, strong, and flexible.  But not perfect.

Taking a glimpse through American history, it is easy to see how this carefully crafted balance of power has gradually shifted more and more towards the national government and away from the states.  Presidents, Congress, and the Courts, through both Democratic and Republican leadership, have diminished the authority of the states.  It is important to understand that reversing this trend is not a partisan issue; it is an American issue.

The current debate about healthcare is an example of a challenge which can better be solved by the states than the federal government.  Several states in the Midwest have created healthcare co-operatives, which deal with many of the current flaws in the system.  Wisconsin leads the nation in these small health care purchasing co-ops, inspired by a 2003 Wisconsin state law that should be replicated by Idaho and other states. The benefits so far include tempering costs and expanding coverage to hard-to-insure members.  These co-ops have had an impact in lowering and “plateau-ing” premiums and have further resulted in improved benefits being offered by competitors. In this case, they do bring competition to the market.

Of course healthcare co-operatives need to be legitimate; that is, members must democratically govern them. And profits – or surplus revenue – should either be used for improving the company for members’ benefit or returned as dividends to members.  At the federal level, a non-partisan regulatory body working with state government members should be created to support development of co-ops in the vast majority of states where none now exist. Included in this federal service, agency, or administration would be loan or grant programs to assist the startup of co-ops similar to how rural utilities are supported or the way the Farm Credit System uses its federal charter to access bond markets.

Understanding the balance of power, the way our Founding Fathers intended, speaks to the delineation of authority between the national government and the states, but also to the overarching concept of limited government and the preservation of individual liberty.  History shows us where we have been.  And we can see where we are now.  But how do we create a different future?  It is not by carrying on the same tired old arguments, which seems to be where we are currently stuck.  Rather, we have the opportunity to learn from past mistakes and successes to gain insight into how we might reclaim the notion of limited government, so essential in nurturing citizenship and civic virtue.

Republican government is possible only when government is small and close to the body of self-governing citizens.  We know what it means to be Idahoans.  No one in Washington D.C. can or should tell us how to live our lives.  We can solve our own problems and would do more of that if the federal government would get off our backs.  We know better than anyone else how to build our roads, educate our kids, regulate our nursing homes/assisted living facilities, manage our wildlife and natural resources, and stimulate the economy by promoting a favorable business climate.

I love my job as a State Representative.  Over the past seven years, it has been a privilege to serve and I have taken every opportunity to fight for principles with strong conviction. Principles such as limited government, lower taxes, reduced spending, personal responsibility, civic duty, and fair and equitable property rights.  During my time spent in public service, I have had the great personal satisfaction of successfully putting some of these principles into policies.

Governing is not static; it is a never-ending process that requires constant exploration and learning.  Practicing what I preach and remaining steadfast in my convictions, I will continue to learn more about our American heritage and The Constitution of the United States of America.  To that end, I look forward to enrolling in a course this fall that focuses on the Constitution.  I encourage you to also take on a learning project related to our government.  The more we learn, the more we know.  The more we know, the better we can understand and communicate with one another.  And this leads to us working together to make rational, intelligent, well-thought-out decisions and taking action to put those decisions into play.

I believe it is time to start turning the tide back by returning more authority to the states.  To paraphrase George Washington, “…we are the keepers of this government.”  If we don’t tend to it, then who will?

******

Janice McGeachin serves as Idaho’s State Representative for District 32A.

“Summer should be seen as a gift, an important time to explore new hobbies, work a summer job, gain independence,” wrote Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford University School of Education. Other experts note that if a quick review couldn’t remedy summer learning loss, then students were not being taught the material well enough in the first place.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan  sided with the pro-homework camp. Duncan even joked that students should ideally attend school 13 months of the year, stressing that time is one of the most undervalued resources for education improvement in the U.S. But is Duncan forgetting the time-old standard of quality over quantity? Evidence from the Secretary’s own department indicates that student math and reading achieving on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, actually declines from fourth grade to 12^th grade. This suggests a quality-time not quantity-time problem.

Research overwhelmingly shows that access to great teachers—not more seat time—can  improve student learning by as much as several years. In fact, schools in other countries are getting the job done in a fraction of the time and for pennies on the dollar compared to the U.S. Many of those countries recruit their teachers from the top five and 10 percent of college graduates, compared to the U.S. which draws from the bottom third.

Among the 32 countries participating in the latest Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. led in teaching hours per public-school year with 1,080 hours compared with an international average of just 803. Top performing countries have far fewer teaching hours, including Japan with just 505.

For all that extra time, the U.S. still ranks 25th globally in math and 21st in science. Such performance is a compelling argument for improved math and science teacher training, recruitment, and retention efforts, including merit pay, which the Obama Administration has indicated it supports.

Still, Duncan recently chose to blame parents—albeit tacitly—instead of the schooling system for American students’ poor international standing. “The more schools become the center of family activity and the true hearts of the neighborhoods,” he said, “the better our children are going to do.”

Of course, making government-run schools the center of hearth and home according to a federal government approach would likely mean that family time and community participation would require additional taxpayer dollars for programs and even more government red tape.

To make summer enrichment and learning a goal embraced by families and communities alike, give parents the choice in how to spend their child’s education time and money. Consider, for instance, a summer-learning scholarship program that would encourage parents to stay involved in their children’s summer vacation and academic enrichment.

Better than allowing politicians to spend more of the taxpayers’ dime regimenting the taxpayers’ time, empower parents to decide about summer activities for their children they think are best. Most important, let parents pick their children’s schools and teachers in the first place to give students an academic foundation solid enough for a lifetime—not just summertime.

******

Vicki E. Murray, Ph.D., is Education Studies Associate Director at the Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco, California where Kelly Gorton is an associate.

This is the make or break of his domestic agenda, and would be a great way for any writer to share their voice on such an important issue to our country.

Email me at elise@americanmaggie.com if you want to write a feature about it!

The idea of American Maggie grew out of the well-established belief that the Republican Party is in need of new ideas, new voices, and new types of candidates.  As such, American Maggie is an open platform that encourages submissions and contributions from women of all backgrounds. 

Featured on today’s launch edition of American Maggie, you will find exclusive articles written by:

• Members of Congress
• State Representatives
• Political Strategists
• Policy Experts
• College Students

Other features which are worth checking out:

• About Us: Find out Who We Are, and What We Do
• Maggie’s Wire and Latest News: The Best Daily Writings of Conservative Women on the Web

This content will be updated daily.  American Maggie is a work in progress whose success will depend upon the written contributions and innovative ideas from conservative women across the U.S. Sending in ideas, videos or articles is easy, just click on American Maggie’s Microphone to share ideas and make your voice hard.

Lastly, thanks for your interest and support in developing American Maggie.  Each of you has touched the development of this project in ways large and small; the site is testament to your support and encouragement.