Law Commons^™

The States As National Agents, Gillian E. Metzger

Faculty Scholarship

I am delighted for the chance to engage with Heather Gerken's work. I want to begin by offering tremendous kudos. I think the new nationalist school of federalism is a very exciting intellectual development. Over the years, many federalism scholars have emphasized the importance of state participation in federal programs. But Gerken's recent writings, and those of other contributors – Abbe Gluck, Jessica Bulman-Pozen, and Erin Ryan – have forced this phenomenon onto center stage, highlighting the ways that devolution advances nationalist goals. With her characteristic elegance and provocation, Gerken's Article contends that the centrality of nation-state conjoining requires casting …