A State Fair: Who decides? The struggle over government authority

INDIANAPOLIS — A friend from Columbus, Indiana, sent me an article on Benjamin Franklin’s 1766 discussions with German scholars about federalism in the Holy Roman Empire. It became a model for the American colonies.

Federalism is states (independent political entities) coming together for common defense under a single state. It was a state composed of states. It was the concept behind our Articles of Confederation. That failed and was replaced by our Constitution, which enabled a stronger central government....