What would happen if states could govern without federal authority?

Answer 1

Many countries, states and organisations do not belong to a federation or union.

It is not an essential part of governance or management.

However, the answers to such "what if", type questions have to be opinions and therefore it would depend on who you ask.

Answer 2

You have it backwards. The US government is set up so that the states and people have the power, and by the Constitution they only let the Federal government do a few things like raise an army to protect all of the States, regulate business between and among the States, and so forth.

The Federal government in actuality has taken as much power as it wants, and we, the States and people, have let them do it. Too bad. People who want the correct government back are forming groups like the Tea Party, to do it.

Answer 3

This was tried in the Articles of Confederation and it didn't work. The problem with this is that the federal government does a number of things for the people and the states. Mail delivery, money, trade, and taxes are all under the federal government. When the Articles were in effect each state printed its own money. This didn't work very well. Some states charged a fee to cross the border, while others restricted what could be traded. There has to be a unified system of laws for everyone otherwise there would be discrimination and an unbalance in how the law is seen and used.