Alasdair Roberts, professor of public policy, delivered the opening keynote address at the National Federalism Summit in Salt Lake City on August 11. The event was hosted by the Constitutional Federalism Initiative, which is housed at Utah Valley University’s Center for Constitutional Studies.

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Roberts presented “The Problems of Centralization” to the attendees of the two-day event, a nonpartisan gathering of state leaders focused on “restoring constitutional balance, strengthening state capacity and building the foundation for interstate cooperation.”

“The American system of government is more centralized than it was a century ago. Power has shifted from state capitals to Washington, while inside Washington, it has shifted toward the presidency,” Roberts explains in the abstract of a supplemental reading for his presentation. “Reformers in both parties thought centralization would make government work better, resulting in a country that was more secure, prosperous, and just. But centralization has led to unexpected problems—overload, gridlock, polarization, and bureaucratic sclerosis. The current design of the American system does not meet the needs of a vast and complex society. A better performing system would be one in which authority is redistributed to revitalized state governments.”

More information about the event can be found on the UVU website.