Isn’t there already a lot of discussion about this? In the US, there’s constant debate about whether particular issues are best handled at the federal, state, or local level. We even fought a bloody civil war over the question of whether the legality of owning humans should be decided by the states or by the federal government.

I don't hear the constant debate you refer to -- what are your sources for political news and analysis?

The Civil war is a valid example of our historical struggle with the issue of state vs federal policies, but that was a long time ago.

I get my news all over. Most prominently, NPR, BBC, Reuters, and France Info.

But I don’t think it’s hard to find, you just have to look for it. Lots of contemporary debates have a strong element of this. For example, the fight over “sanctuary cities” is all about this. Gun control and abortion often involve questions of whether those things are better set at the state or federal level. A huge amount of education policy debate is about how much the feds should dictate. A big part of health care reform is whether it should be done at the state or federal level. Net neutrality is turning into this now that the feds have given it up. I have a hard time thinking of anything domestic where central versus local control isn’t a big part of the debate.

On reflection, you are right that these issues come up. But I don't ever feel like the debate is sincere. It always just feels like the person always argues to move the law to the level where they think they can win (or not lose as badly), not where they legitimately feel is the right place for it.