As a Southerner with great-grandfathers who fought in the ‘War of Northern Aggression’ I have a decentralizing gene in my DNA. I have to acknowledge, though, that ‘states’ rights’ was used to promote and defend a violently racist culture.

It was good that the Federal government put an end to that evil. Also, there are problems that can only be addressed efficaciously at the national level, such as the environment. (For that matter, that problem really must be addressed at the international level, such as the Paris Accords.)

More generally, to my mind the most important issue is not the organizational chart of government, but justice. My studies have taught me that applying justice — real justice—to the economy would tremendously decentralize power. (For the record, I do have an M.A. in economics — political economy.)

For one thing, it would make the existing economy completely self-regulating. The means would not even exist to undertake fiscal or monetary policies to ‘manage’ the economy.

Also, the supply of money for the economy would be independent of both the central bank and the central government. It would flow directly to individuals who were eligible for it (as the “allotted income”).

That income would be the minimum income. It would be based on the current median income (so, in the U.S., say, $15/hr.; $600/wk.).

People working in minimum-pay positions would be receiving the allotted income, so they would not be paid wages/salaries by their employers. The money that had been paid as wages/salaries would be available for benefits.

So, rather than people competing for minimum-pay jobs, employers would use benefits to compete — in a free labor market — for employees to fill minimum-pay positions. Employers would be free to designate any position to be minimum-pay; people would be free to accept that pay — plus whatever benefits could be negotiated — to fill/remain in that position or not.

Also, the allotted income would replace, in the U.S., Social Security, solving that whole problem. It would be paid to retirees and adults who were too incapacitated to work.

In short, the existence of the allotted income would provide the means to eliminate unemployment and poverty. The same process could be used to fund government (at all levels), eliminating taxes and public debt.

To prevent inflation money would have to be returned to its point of origin, but people and businesses would retain plenty of money. At any event, unlike taxes, no money would be collected from any person or business before it could be used for purchases or investment.

If curious, there is, as a place to start, “By Request: How to Transform the Society of any Nation (summarized in a ‘5 min read’)” here in Medium.