Of course Trump’s authority isn’t ‘total.’ Here are 3 myths about how federalism works.

Washington Post logoThe founders designed a flexible system with many redundant safeguards against failure

This week, President Trump told reporters, “When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total.” That claim, as many pointed out, contradicts the U.S. Constitution. While he later modified his claim, this was only the latest foray in the pandemic-prompted national discussion about federalism.

This conversation has touched on three myths about how the U.S.’s federal system operates. Let’s examine each one in turn.

1. Federalism is not a code word for states’ rights and ability to get things done.

Last week, many observers were applauding governors and chastising the federal government for inaction. In response, Nikki Haley, a Republican and the former governor of South Carolina, suggested that citizens should pay less attention to the federal government and “look no further than the governors” to “save people’s lives” and “keep the economy afloat.” Continue reading.