Don't look up, Look to your neighbor.

Where do we find our power?

Mar 02, 2023

We Madisonian Republicans like to talk about power, representation, and who ultimately wields power. Where do we delegate our power, and to whom? Who is the best decision maker at any level? It often helps to think about history when asking: where was power granted, what was done with that authority, and were the consequences of that authority good or bad for the people?

The Federal government is only granted certain powers, and the rest are reserved by the states. This was one of the key debates during the constitutional crisis that precipitated our current governing structure back in 1787. After the adoption of the constitution, the party system emerged around the idea of how power should be wielded, with the Federalists encouraging a more central point of authority, and the Democratic-Republicans looking to bring control down to the peoples’ level. In Virginia, we the people, give all of our power to the state legislature, and the state legislature doles that out to different authorities.

One early fight, that continued for over a hundred years, was around the banking system, and who controlled the deposits of the Federal Treasury. Hamilton envisioned a central bank that held the federal government’s debt. This bank could then issue money based on the faith and credit of the debt. Hard money advocates who favored coins wanted banks that individuals rather than the federal government controlled. Andrew Jackson made the destruction of the central banking system in favor of state chartered “pet” banks a key goal of his administration. Today, we don’t bat an eye at the Federal Reserve, which is our current repository, and it’s control over the entire economy, and given the United States’ position, the global economy too. But many powers are still held by the states.

The roads we drive on are all paid for and managed by the individual states. There are federal reimbursements for some construction, but the majority of road construction and maintenance are paid for by state money. Often, the local county or town is on the hook for the planning and payment, since a county would have the best idea of what’s needed at a local level.

Education is another area of local and state control, in spite of what we hear from the media and federal candidates. Joe Biden made getting teacher pay raises one of the points in his State of the Union address this past January, but he doesn’t write the local school budget. The best he can do is set an example, and hope others follow. Education in Virginia is a statewide prerogative, with certain administrative responsibilities delegated to each school division. For example, the Virginia Department of Education sets basic educational standards, and Virginia’s code requires school divisions to comply. In the spirit of subsidiarity, or keeping decisions at the appropriate level, the code allows for School Boards to set the budget, and for counties and cities to find the money to pay for the mandated education. School board delegates the day-to-day operations to the superintendent, who delegates the running of each school to a principal. The principal at each school finally delegates the education and instruction to a teacher. One may think there a lot of latitude at each level of delegation, but the reality is that the state code of laws dictates who can fill each role, and often, what they’re responsible for doing. Each teacher has to be licensed through the state, which means filling some basic qualifications. This all goes back to the state having power and only delegating some locally.

I find myself mostly used to the federal system, where the people keep all powers granted to the Federal government. However, in Virginia, all powers are granted to the legislature. This means that a federal candidate really shouldn’t be running on issues that the federal government can’t touch, like education. A senator should run on the general economy, since the senate has some say in the federal reserve. But we should turn away the moment a House candidate talks about paying teachers more. The president can go around helping dole out road money, but it doesn’t make sense for Washington to say where a street should start and where it should end. We should also be wary of any state-level candidate in Virginia talking about border security because they aren’t actually thinking about the issues that affect our state.

In the US system, the constitution’s tenth amendment states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” In Virginia, we’re a Dillon rule state, where municipalities only have those powers expressly granted to them, and they can only make reasonable interpretations of those rules. Many policies that school board’s put in place are rewordings or wholesale copies of what powers are granted in Virginia’s code. Even books in classrooms now come from VDOE approved lists.

Our House of Delegates and State Senate races this year are incredibly important when it comes to our day-to-day lives. Municipalities are allowed to charge taxes, incur debts, pay for our roads, and plow the roads because of the obligations imposed on them by the legislature. Representation in Virginia could be improved once we recognize the importance of state-level elections. Even the Governor is bound by what authority the legislature grants. The difference in how separate levels of representation wield power can significantly influence our lives.

It’s all the more important in Virginia this year with State Senate and General Assembly races, Board of Supervisor races, and even everyone’s favorite, School Board races. We need to pay attention to who is running and even more attention to what they’re saying. The past few years have shown how having politically and historically illiterate leaders causes more harm. The issues matter, but anyone can toe the party line on tax policy, roads, and education. We need to watch how they listen to us, and we need to listen to hear if what issues they think are important match what we know to be important.

The best way to get good representatives is to elect them in November. But what Jeff and I saw is that the party primary process sets up the course for all candidates in November, and it's happening right now. If we want competent leadership, we cannot wait until November 7th. We must engage with the candidates and vet them before we’re left with damaged goods.

P.S. The Madisonian Republican meetings aim to foster relationships and get us more comfortable putting ourselves out there. We can also provide tools and knowledge to help you make our neighborhoods better for our generation and the next. You can RSVP for the next meeting on March 18th here: madisonianrepublicans.com

Below is a list of candidates running for office in our area. Go find and speak with them. If you don’t feel comfortable attending an event alone, reach out, and if schedules permit, a Madisonian Republican might go with you. The best leaders are those well-versed in history and law and who cultivate an environment for honest communication. When attending events, ask the candidates what they are currently reading and how our past leaders would navigate such a divisive time in our union.

HD 30:

Geary Higgins —www.gearyhiggins.com

Max Sawicky— www.linkedin.com

Robert Banse—www.vpap.org

HD 21:

Josh Quill— www.quillforvirginia.com

Josh Stirrup— www.stirrupfordelegate.com

Josh Thomas— www.jetforva.com

HD 22:

Ian Lovejoy— www.votelovejoy.com

HD 20:

Michelle Maldonado—www.michelle4va.com