Quote:
Originally Posted by spence
So are laws that expand the scope of constitutionally mandated federal behaviors conservative or liberal?
-spence
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They are neither "conservative" nor "liberal." It is redundant to say "expand the scope of constitutionally mandated federal behaviors". Constitutionally mandated federal "behaviors" are defined and cannot be expanded or contracted. To expand a definition would merely be adding more words to it, perhaps to clarify, but would not essentially change it. Constitutionally mandated federal "behaviors" are enumerated and concisely defined. Any "behaviors "that act outside the constitutional definition are unconstitutional. Presumably, the power to legislate within the scope of enumerated "behaviors" is unlimited.
But legislating within enumerated power is not an expansion of federal authority, nor what is meant by expansion of government. The notion of expanding government, in a constitutional sense, is government intrusion outside the scope of its enumerated powers.
Specify the laws to which you are referring, and we can discuss whether they are "conservative" or "liberal."