In 1790, there were 23 federal crimes. By 2008, there were over 4,450 federal criminal offenses and over 300,000 regulatory offenses that carried a criminal penalty. These regulatory offenses, promulgated not by Congress but by unelected bureaucrats, gen- erally criminalize everyday business activity traditionally left for civil and administrative remedies. Many of these “crimes” do not require the actor to even know he or she has committed an offense, also known as m
Reinvigorating Federalism and Fiscal Discipline in Texas: Establishing the Office of State Sovereignty
Texas governments received $84.3 billion in federal funding in 2023, raising concerns over financial dependency and regulatory consequences. Creating an Office of State Sovereignty to monitor the application, receipt, and conditions of this aid could mitigate fiscal risk and improve transparency. Key points: Texas lacks a centralized system to oversee federal grants potentially flowing to...