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?

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