The way Americans work and live is facing a once-in-a-lifetime challenge in the form of simultaneous crises of public health, the economy, climate change, and racial justice. Our response will shape generations of American life.
Over fifty years ago, on the heels of a generation-defining tragedy and the eve of an era-shaping response, President Lyndon Johnson made a speech we’d be wise to revisit today. Announcing his Great Society agenda, Johnson proclaimed, “The solution to these [our country’s] problems does not rest on a massive program in Washington, nor can it rely solely on the strained resources of local authority. They require us to create new concepts of cooperation, a creative federalism, between the National Capital and the leaders of local communities.”
Polarization in Washington may have increased since Johnson’s 1964 statement, but the principle remains. If we stand any chance of responding to the current economic, social, and health challenges in a fair, inclusive, and effective way, we need a renewal of creative federalism.
Forbes
By Stephanie Copeland, Alex Flachsbart, Colin Higgins, and the Sorenson Impact Center
Sep 18, 2020