Have The Lockdowns Made The Case For Devolution?

Friday, March 13th was the last day most student's spoke and laughed with their friends and teachers face to face at school - since then, all of us have been in lockdown with family members or roommates. Well, most of us have been. Some of us have already been able to reunite with friends in restaurants, and get long awaited haircuts - like in Texas, where the Governor Greg Abbott has issued guidelines for reopening - even for restaurant dining rooms. On the flip side, states like Maryland have Stay-In-Place orders from their Governor's still active with no expiration date in sight.

All the while, the Federal Government has clashed with the states. Recently, President Trump even went as far as to assert he had authority over states saying "The president of the United States calls the shots... They can't do anything without the approval of the president of the United States." The statement received immediate and significant clap-back from governors, with Gov. Cuomo of New York saying that Trump had practically crowned himself 'King Trump'.

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“The president of the United States calls the shots... They can't do anything without the approval of the president of the United States.” - Pres. Trump

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The statement is obviously untrue, but the controversy surrounding it has prompted many on both sides of the aisle to reconsider their faith in federalism. This may be a sign that this nation is having the first real debate about Federalism in generations.

Furthermore, Coronavirus has prompted a 'my body, my choice' on the political right as well, with protests to the Quarantines donning signs saying things like "My Body, My Risk, My Choice". Regionalised protests have allowed these groups to pressure their state governments into reopening independent of clashing Federal Guidelines, prompting a second look at said state governments, and reopening a debate on state authority.

My Body, My Choice Protester

While the Quarantine has lead mostly to a lot of boredom, it tests the question of Devolution as well, which will either make or break itself to the electorate as state governments attempt to custom-tailor a response to the pandemic alongside their federal counterpart. With the age-old debate opened up again, will it stand the test of time?