The New Power Players: State Activism and the Rebirth of Federalism
The architecture of our Constitution will be fine — if we can reestablish equilibrium.
Setup
With Congress mired in partisan gridlock and presidents of both parties relying on the growing use of federal executive power, states are playing an increasingly important role on issues ranging from climate change, immigration, and banking regulation, to health care, data privacy, and the opioid crisis. State attorneys general are leading the charge, alternately teaming up and competing against one another in their efforts to reshape the national policy landscape through coordinated litigation against both the federal government and corporations. Is this resurgence of federalism simply a casualty of our country’s polarization, or is it a new, constructive force in national policymaking? Underwritten by Comcast NBCUniversal.
Explore More
USA
NPR's Tamara Keith and Dan Glickman discuss what a Biden agenda might look like.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s family has called the city home for over 100 years.
Poet Claudia Rankine discusses the urgency of reimagining what it means to be American with Eric Liu.
Not by shying away from arguments but by embracing them. Arguments are our legacy and our shared history.
Two pro athletes talk about the perils of speaking up for justice in 2020, and what it would take to see progress and create measurable societal change.
The highest court often seems distanced from our day-to-day lives, but the rulings that come out of the Supreme Court are woven into the fabric of the nation. Though it aims t...
The youngest member of the US Senate talks about championing a new brand of conservatism.
Leading on the Frontlines, a series from Aspen Ideas Now, features mayors and governors across the United States in candid discussions about how they're facing tough decisions...
