The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.

James Madison, Federalist No 45

The Founding Fathers were exquisite writers that left nothing to interpretation. Consider the balance of Madison’s passage from Federalist no. 45:

The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State.

If James Madison were alive today, he would be asking “what part of few and defined don’t you get?”

Of course, the founding fathers unambiguous language doesn’t stop today’s progressives. The latest trend from the left is the idea of “Progressive Federalism” where progressives push their ideas wrapped in the wording of Federalism. Consider this idea from the HufyPo:

But in order for Progressive Federalism to happen, the federal government has to be supportive of floors, not ceilings — that is, oriented toward setting minimum progressive regulatory standards that states must at least comply with, not maximum regulatory ceilings that states are not allowed to go above and beyond.

How exactly is establishing “minimum progressive regulatory standards” from an all knowing federal government square with the idea of  “Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.”

Take the idea further. Who would determine the minimum progressive regulatory standards for example, recycling? If Kentucky set the minimum progressive regulatory standard, people from California would be up in arms. They would argue the Kentucky standard is ineffectual. If California set the minimum standard, Kentucky would argue the standard is too onerous.

The debates would be endless.

This is the genius of the Federal system of governance created by our founders and will not be improved upon by a bunch of unhappy progressives.

As a closing thought, consider the following passage from Madison in Federalist no. 44. Madison explains the reasoning behind not enumerating every discrete power or regulation in the Constitution.

Had the convention attempted a positive enumeration of the powers necessary and proper for carrying their other powers into effect, the attempt would have involved a complete digest of laws on every subject to which the Constitution relates; accommodated too, not only to the existing state of things, but to all the possible changes which futurity may produce; for in every new application of a general power, the particular powers, which are the means of attaining the object of the general power, must always necessarily vary with that object, and be often properly varied whilst the object remains the same

There is no way “Progressive Federalism” will approach the brilliant simplicity the Founding Fathers created.