MICHAEL DORF What California's Trans Fat Ban Teaches Us About Federalism FindLaw columnist and Cornell law professor Michael Dorf offers an interesting new perspective on the decision by California to join New York City and a few other jurisdictions in banning the use of trans fats: Dorf contends that the ban illustrates why it has proven impossible to remain true to the Framers' original vision of federalism in our modern, highly-nationalized economy. Dorf tracks the evolution of the Supreme Court's federalism jurisprudence, and explains why a conservative movement on the Court that was once hailed as a "federalism revolution" has, in retrospect, had only a modest effect. He also considers Justice Clarence Thomas's views on federalism, and how they contrast with those of other conservatives on the Court.

Everything is related to everything else. When one opens the, "Soverign Nation" bag of worms, the
problems of Federalism and the opportunities of Representative Democracy, in the age of instant
communication, crawls out.

On the other hand, decision making needs to occur as close to the task as feasible.