Federalism key to resisting threats to national security, says legal scholar
Federalism can serve as a vital safeguard for democratic resilience, particularly in the face of real and severe threats to national security, a leading legal scholar has argued.
However, London School of Economics president and vice-chancellor Larry Kramer cautioned that it must not be used as a tool to justify governmental overreach.
“If it is a national security question, the question is to what extent is it real and to how severe it is. To what extent is it being used as a justification to extend power in other ways or over other subjects?”
In an exclusive interview with FMT, Kramer noted that federal and state actors inevitably hold both shared and divergent interests.
“(Leaders) at different levels have shared and distinct political interests because they are each responsive to the situation of their office.
“Wherever (the dispute) settles…
