Does the United States have too many states? - Quora

Once upon a time the US had many states. However, in the past 100 years, the lines have blurred as the federal government has absorbed more and more power from the states and we are becoming one over inflated state. We need to reverse the trend or suffer the consequences. Consequences? Sure, as the federal government takes what were once state and local responsibilities, like education and law enforcement, it takes on more and more power to micro-manage our lives. Also, we have lost the advantage of using states as mini laboratories for testing public policies. Mistakes at the local level only affect local jurisdictions. Mistakes at the federal level affect us all. Don't believe me? Look at your state budget. I bet that a significant source of all revenue is Washington. Maybe, like California, Washington contributes more than all the taxes collected by state and local governments combined. And remember the Golden Rule: Those with the gold make the rules.