The Founders never envisioned a nation in which a president could tell a local school district who could play on its sports teams. Or set bail policy for local courts. Or take over police departments. Or dictate what can be taught on college campuses.

Instead, they crafted a Constitution that places strict limits on executive power, with the intent of keeping Congress and the president focused on a few specific responsibilities.

Most other government duties were left to the states, cities and counties, with guardrails put in place to keep Washington from growing so big and powerful it overwhelmed those local bodies.

This federalist system of balancing power between the federal government and the states is drawing its last breaths under President Donald Trump.

His operating philosophy ―

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