Address by William Jefferson Clinton

In: Publius: the journal of federalism, Band 29, Heft 4, S. 23-32

Abstract

US President Bill Clinton discusses federalism & its application to the problems of today & tomorrow. He recounts some of the efforts of his administration to revitalize federalism. This was accomplished by attempting to reduce the size & scope of the federal government (an imperative made all the more urgent by unsustainable budget deficits). However, encouraging states & localities to take up more of the burden of governing does not absolve the federal government of all responsibility. Indeed, the elimination of so-called "unfunded mandates" was a move that in many ways increased federal responsibility. Similarly, reforms in crime prevention (putting 100,000 more police officers on the streets) & education (increasing the numbers of teachers but reducing the number of federal restrictions & regulations on schools) demonstrate how a cooperative federalism can be successful in today's complex world. As for other parts of the world, federalism provides an alternative to simple statehood for the world's dizzying array of ethnic, linguistic, & religious groups. Autonomy & statehood may be the only answer in some areas (like East Timor), but a workable federation, one that recognizes & protects the rights of minorities, is probably the answer in many more. K. W. Larsen