National Chairman's Letter

State Sovereignty

July 2002

Dear Members and Friends of the Independent American Party,

Our IAP National Mission statement includes the words "to promote ... state ... sovereignty...." And the ninth of our IAP National Principles states, "We believe that each state is sovereign in performing those functions reserved to it by the U.S. Constitution and it is a usurpation of power for the Federal Government to regulate or control the states in performing their functions."

Indeed! The Tenth or States' Rights Amendment in the Bill of Rights reads: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Thomas Jefferson said: "I ask for no straining of words against the general government, nor yet against the states. I believe the states can best govern our home concerns and the general government our foreign ones. I wish, therefore, to see maintained that wholesome distribution of powers established by the Constitution for the limitation of both; and never to see all offices transferred to Washington."

We recognize the states and the people as the true sovereigns of the nation, and hold that the federal government was created by the states to be an agent of the states.

But States' Rights took a crushing blow as a result of the Civil War. Where some states may have reluctantly joined the Union in the first place; all states lost their "right" to secede from the Union. We believe that our founders were raised up by God to forge a new nation and write its Constitution. And many believe that Abraham Lincoln was raised up by God to keep that nation intact for His divine purposes. But nonetheless, States' Rights became a casualty of that war.

Another blow to State Sovereignty was the addition of the 14th or Civil Rights Amendment. Similar to the 5th Amendment, it states in part, "[N]or shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...."

The Bill of Rights was intended as a restriction on the federal government, and not of the states. The First Congress did not want the federal government acting as watchdog over the states. They felt that it should be up to the people in each state to keep their state governments in line.

But the 14th Amendment, supposedly meant for further protecting individual rights, opened the way for federal government interference in state and local matters. Beginning in 1963, Congress passed a number of civil rights bills that transferred much jurisdiction from the states to the federal courts. The courts became empowered with enforcement over individuals as well as public and private institutions. It was foolishly hoped by Congress that the courts would exercise restraint with these unprecedented judicial powers.

A final major blow to state sovereignty was the addition of the 17th Amendment, which provided for the popular election of senators. Prior to that, US senators were elected by their respective state legislatures, which helped maintain our federalism with its balance of power between the state and national governments. As long as senators were elected by and accountable to their state legislatures, they were highly motivated to protect states' rights and the established order.

And now there is a move to destroy another of our checks and balances, by abolishing the electoral college.

Feeding the erosion of state sovereignty is the advent of socialism in America. This has led to federal control of domestic affairs in our states. Regional and metro government is used by federal bureaucrats to bypass state and local governments in matters that were once reserved to the states -- such as health, education, business, land use, etc. Revenue Sharing and other money strings are used to force the states to comply with federal edicts. The federal government is no longer the agent of the states. Rather, the states are now agents of the national government.

With the invasion of centralized and socialized government, encroachment of States' Rights, and the shredding of our Constitution, we see at best -- inefficient and wasteful government, and at worst -- the tentacles of tyranny enveloping our nation.

Columnist Joseph Sobran said, "We are less free, more heavily taxed, and worse governed than our ancestors under British rule."

Barry Goldwater said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have."

Woodrow Wilson said, "Concentration of power is what always precedes the destruction of human liberties."

The tenth of our IAP National Principles states, "We consider it a violation of the Constitution for the Federal Government to levy taxes for the support of state or local government; that no state or local government can accept funds from the Federal Government and remain independent in performing its functions, nor can the citizens exercise their rights of self-government under such conditions."

We strongly support the peaceful restoration of state sovereignty in our American Republic. We oppose the concepts of regional government and revenue sharing administered by the federal government. We strive to promote personal liberty and responsibility over socialism. We favor repeal of the 17th Amendment.

We assert that we are and ought to be the United States (not the "subservient states") of America!

Yours for Freedom!

Bruce Bangerter
IAP National Chairman