The whole talk of decentralization is like talking about using umbrellas to keep everything and everyone dry.

a) it does a poor job

b) it is vulnerable to leaks overwhelming enough of them to entirely defeat the objective.

c) it is vulnerable to control from those who make the umbrellas.

d) eventually you might be able to convince everyone that getting wet is fine.

In other words, “decentralization” is another nonsense gimmick. And nowhere likes gimmicks, vapid patriotism and ideology over real hard work and real fixes than the US of A.

The way most of western Europe functions is by having a consensus that what is best for everybody is the objective of governance. And that it be continuously and empirically tested and validated. This has led to the fairest, most open and most high-performing economies on earth for the last 60 years.

There have been bumps and back and forth movement and there are challenges and some traces of problems like those in the US. However, the basis for what makes for successful governance by any means or by any author is still outcomes that benefit everyone.

The ultimate result of US “decentralization” has been the Civil War and what seems impending now, a second one.

When the distribution of the benefits becomes or is perceived to be unfair or to trod on the “independence” of the decentralized parts, you get what you have now.

Free (as in money), good and fair systems of education. An economic policy foundation that says the objective is outcomes that improve all people’s lives and permit everyone a good basic standard of living. A good self-correcting political system largely if not entirely devoid of private money. And one person, one vote nationally.