system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Federalism doesn't work in modern day populous countries and the founders of the U.S. would not have setup such a system had they known the implications at today's population levels.

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During deliberations amongst the U.S. founding fathers, two contrary views emerged as potential models for a federation of states: 1) a strong, centralized federal government, and 2) a decentralized federal system consisting of many strong, autonomous states. Of course the system our founders adopted is the former. 

It is my opinion that it would have been impossible in the late-18th century for even the most intellectually gifted of our founders to conceive of a nation of over 300 million people, and could not possibly have considered the implications a strong federal system would have in governing such an immense population (the population of the United States in 1776 was roughly 2.5 million). Further, I think that had our founders been able to grasp the disconnect that exists today between our citizens and federal government, as well as the role of well-funded private interest groups, they would have been more likely to enact a system of strong, autonomous state-based rule-- a system which would be superior in the modern environment. Change my view.
gpt
The founding fathers did set up a system similar to what you are describing.  In the original constitution the federal government had the power to regulate interstate commerce (this has been reinterpreted to basically mean any kind of commerce) and establish diplomatic relations with other countries (including wars and such).  Basically if a power could be given to the states instead of the federal government it was.  Also, the State Legislatures used to vote for Senators, and while the president was voted for by the electoral college, the way the electors for each state were chosen was up to the state (it didn't have to be by the people).  It was only over time that through the Supreme Court, a civil war, and various amendments that the federal government gained the vast power it has now.