Who Rules: The States or the Feds?

Bob Levy, chairman emeritus of the Cato Institute, will review the constitutional framework for federalism – including the 10th Amendment, which limits the power of the federal government; the 14th Amendment, which expands the power of the federal government; and the Supremacy Clause, which tells us what happens when federal and state laws disagree. Then, he’ll discuss a related issues that are key to understanding the balance of power – whether states can nullify federal law; whether states have to enforce federal law; and whether the feds can compel the states to cooperate by withholding federal benefits. Finally, Bob will examine how those issues help us deal with the current controversy over sanctuary cities.