This Great Graphic caught our attention. It is a map of the United States, compiled by Andrew Shears, a Mansfield University geography professor, on the basis that the various state partition proposals had all succeeded.
The fifty states in the union would number 124. Arguably, the US would be less governable not more with so many states. James Madison's argument, outlined in Federalist 10, proposed the best way to prevent a permanent "faction" was to expand the sphere so there were numerous and conflicting factions would would check and balance each other.
This would keep a central government in check. Yet, classical political philosophy held that large republics were not sustainable because the weakness of the central government would not be able to prevent secession. As the new small republic on the east coast of the North American land mass expanded, it did (largely) in contiguous territory with the idea of creating future states, not colonies.
More states in the same territory would have created more political space, and strengthened some forms of representative government. However, it would likely have weakened the balance between the federal government and the states. It would have been more expensive and unable to take advantages of some economies of scale. It may have prevented the emergence of a national economy and a sufficiently national government that can be a major actor on the world stage. Perhaps, a more compelling argument can b made, given population densities and the desire for greater savings, that the US might be better served with fewer rather than more states.
Hat tip to the Washington Post's Wonk Blog for picking it up.
Great Graphic: The US, if State Partition Proposals all Succeeded
Reviewed by Marc Chandler
on
January 01, 2014
Rating:
Reviewed by Marc Chandler
on
January 01, 2014
Rating:
