Britain is one of the most centralised nations in the world. Though we’ve embraced a form of quasi-federalism with devolution to Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish legislatures, the idea of strong regional government, as exists in the United States, is one that we’re not used to. It doesn’t help that there is plentiful coverage of federal affairs in the world news pages of our newspapers, but virtually nothing on the states, despite the huge power that they wield.
Consequently, we read of the Tea Party, the paralysis of Congress and the blandness of Democratic politics and conclude that the United States is letting itself down with a stale political system that is bound by crushing economic and social conservatism. To whatever extent that is true of Washington DC, you cannot say that of all the states, some of which are pioneers in tolerance and social development. I’ve discussed some of this in America’s New Social Liberalism. However, since I wrote that article a year and a half ago I’ve heard of Colorado and Washington adopting a no-nonsense, rational policy on drug legalisation, Washington (again) instituting a minimum wage that is above the Living Wage. I’ve read about Alaska- Sarah Palin’s political playground- and it’s long running citizen’s dividend scheme.
Admittedly the latter is a modest bribe for Alaskans to accept the destruction of one of the most beautiful environments on Earth in order to to drill oil, but I’m impressed with the progressiveness (if that is a word!) of the measure, which could easily be replicated with general taxation.
There’s more: In a very exciting move, the state of Verm0nt is introducing a single-payer system for healthcare, something that goes much further than Obamacare and much closer to what is actually needed. If it is a success, pressure for a single-payer system accross the United States will grow.
Just as in the UK, we are using Labour, nationalist, Independent and (supposedly) Green councils as our immediate line of defence against the most brutal policies of the Coalition government, it is within the power of Democratic, and even moderate GOP state legislatures to defend their people even as right-wing extremism poisons Congressional politics.
In both countries, we know that such successes are vastly outnumbered by councils and states moving in the wrong direction. It certainly doesn’t have to be that way, provided that movements can be mobilised in the pursuit of radical and meaningful social change. That means being prepared to “think the unthinkable”, and occasionally finding oneself out of the mainstream. In local and regional politics, the mainstream is a whole lot easier to shape than it appears.
