A recent Rasmussen poll indicates that “38% Favor Their State Blocking Federal Anti-Gun Laws” and a whopping “52 percent of mainstream voters think states should have the right to block any federal laws they disagree with on legal grounds.” And this week, a nullification-friendly Washington Times article from the paper’s editorial board was published stating: “nullification is a growing movement with support on both sides of the political aisle.”

The Washington Times article hints at the reason for this shift in sentiment, “…something needs to be done to check the intrusion of the federal bureaucracy into our lives.” The federal government has failed to keep itself within the confines of the Constitution and state-level nullification is the best solution. Given the obvious inability of “vote the bum’s out”, “rule it unconstitutional”, or “march on DC” to curtail federal infringements it’s really no surprise.

The problem with these approaches is that they require the federal government to police itself. This is something that will never happen and the founders warned us against such foolish thinking.

Jefferson considered the Tenth Amendment and the power held by states to be the cornerstone of the Constitution’s ability to restrain the general government. In 1791, when challenging Hamilton’s proposed expansion of federal power, Jefferson indicated:

“I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground: That “all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people.” [10th Amendment]. To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specifically drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition.”

Recently, attacks on our Constitution and Bill of Rights have become more obvious. Even fundamental American guarantees such as gun rights, due process rights, and freedom of speech rights have been challenged. Concerned citizens looking for solutions to protect themselves from the federal government’s intrusions find nullification, once discovered, quite attractive. They also find themselves in good company, as historically state resistance to the general government’s oversteps is a key component of our check on federal power.

From a practical perspective, nullification provides results that other options cannot:

• Nullification demands rights without violence
• Nullification fosters regional harmony through decentralization
• Nullification is lawful, historic and Constitutional

In other words, only nullification provides a roadmap to a local, legitimate base of political power necessary to counter aggressive actions out of Washington DC.

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