Something Old, Something New, Something Federal

Abstract

Take a moment to think about all the policy problems that exist today that did not even cross the mind of the framers of the Constitution. Telecommunications, the Internet, energy, health care, gun control, food and occupational safety, drugs, space, and the environment, among many others. In fact, the government must concern itself with so many policy areas nowadays that it’s hard to think that new problems arise at all. However, the morning of September 11, 2001, brought to the forefront the formerly percolating issues of terrorism and homeland security that now confound many a decision maker. And despite the range of issues we must confront now, we must remember that there are a number of problems that might emerge in the future that we can barely envision now.