As a student, Michener was never really impressed by the Federalist papers. She talks about falling asleep to them in a discussion at her job Cornell University (Cornell University Library, 2019). And I can relate to that. But after reading her book and spending a semester studying public policy, I can agree with Michener. I too have found the light bulb moment in federalism. Not in federalism for its own sake, but in the thread that links it to everything I care about.

We’re constantly told that recycling is our duty. That saving the planet starts with individual choices. What if the real problem isn’t just us forgetting to rinse out our plastic containers, but rather a system built on teaching us to throw things away?