UCLA School of Law

The federal government’s attacks on our bureaucratic institutions, federal workforce, open society, public and private infrastructure, health and education systems, and mechanisms relied on to confront climate change, natural disasters, and global threats are causing considerable (and needless) suffering.  Just as significantly, if not more so, these attacks are making it significantly more difficult for a democratic insurgence to gain traction, and for a political, legal, and civic renaissance to ever take root.  Under such circumstances, states cannot hope to "ride out" the federal storm.  Instead, they must step up.  What follows is a blueprint for blue, purple, and even red states to: 

1. Fill the regulatory, welfare, and public health and safety gaps created by a federal government committed to disabling and weaponizing its fiscal and bureaucratic powers and resources; and 

2. Take the offensive, forcing the hyperaggressive feds (currently employing a “flood the zone” strategy to overwhelm states, municipalities, businesses, and universities) to backpedal and start playing more defense.