I would argue that the states lost any real power when Woodrow Wilson, not understanding that the appointed Senators were appointed by the state legislatures as representatives of their state government decided to play the democracy card and go for popular election of senators.
Simply not understanding or not caring about their true function, Woodrow Wilson's initiative became a constitutional amendment that rendered state government impotent. Can you imagine the crippling burden of unfunded mandates if the states had any power within the federal legislature. Wouldn't have happened! But now, since the senators have no connection with their state governments at all, and in fact feel superior in every way, they have no hesitation to passing a requirement to that state without funding it, leaving that state to carry somebody else's burden.
We are not and should not be a democracy. A democracy is two cats and a mouse voting over what's for dinner. Democracy is the mob rule and murder of the French Revolution. That is why our founding fathers hated democracy. They wanted the best qualified people among the populace to be elected to govern for a definite length of time between new elections. The way the people would participate in government is to select those who operate that government.
So we want to paint the Oval Office. Now we need a national referendum at the cost of billions of dollars so everyone can vote on it? Don't make me laugh. Democracy is a cheap joke, not worthy of anything but contempt. What we have and need to fight to preserve is representative government with representatives subject to the people, enforced by the power of the vote. We are not, have never been and better not ever be a democracy. If we do become one our life expectancy is about ten years before tyranny.
So, since the institution of popular election of Senators totally removed any voice of the states in the legislature, how does anyone propose we can turn the clock back and give any power at all back to the states? I think the door opened, the cow left and we can close the door but the cow's gone.
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