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Federalism and State funding
I've been struggling to find the right answer to this question: "If California wants government healthcare, why don't they just provide the service at the state level and tax Californians to pay for the expense?" I suspect the answer has to do with what is paid for by state and local taxes and what is paid for by federal taxes, and I suspect an important component of this is that states must balance their budgets while the federal government can print money, borrow money, and run deficits. On top of that, the federal government seems to provide funding for a lot of things that are paid for at the state or local level. One example would be federal highway funding, which was famously held hostage several times in order to force states to comply with federal policies (mostly by Republicans, ironically). It seems like the system is currently structured so as to frustrate the original intent of the Constitution, specifically the 10th Amendment. Can y'all shed some light on how policy authority and funding is now apportioned between states and the federal government? Can you share any broad insights about the strengths and limitations of the current arrangement?
Non-Voters / Non-Voting
I recently went on a fieldschool to Thailand that overlapped with their election in May. When I was there, every single Thai person I spoke to across class lines and educational backgrounds felt very strongly about their civic duty to participate in the upcoming election. This is because they really treasure the opportunity to vote, because they have been ruled by military backed governments for decades. Given how many countries around the world don't give their people the right to vote in fair elections, what do you think about Non-Voters in developed Western societies? I've always thought voting is an important civic duty, but after my trip I'm almost inclined to support mandatory voting participation like in Australia. This goes strongly against my Libertarian belief in personal agency, but I think being compelled to vote is a small price to pay given the vast freedoms we are afforded.