It is an honor to join you today. It is great to be back in Nebraska, my home state, and I look forward to our discussion. Just two weeks ago we marked our 250th birthday as a nation. And while we, as a country, might feel young in comparison to some other nations, the truth is that throughout history there are not many institutions or governments that have endured for as long. What is it that has made the United States so successful? One important element is the federated structure of the United States. Distributed power and decision-making across federal, state, and local governments connects Americans more closely ... (full story)