Content
The book begins with a foreword by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. He defends the governorship of Perry, and argues that the state of Texas is better off economically than others because of the lack of a state income tax. He also defends his own Contract with America, which he credits with helping to balance the federal budget in the late 1990s. In the preface, Perry describes his humble beginnings and explains his "vantage point" for writing the book as a governor of Texas for nearly a decade. He writes: {{cquote|I wrote this book because I believe that America is great but also that America is in trouble—and heading for a cliff if we don't take immediate steps to change course. I wrote this book in the hopes that it will lead to a new conversation about the proper role of government in our lives
The first chapter, titled "America Is Great, Washington Is Broken" explains the logic of why state sovereignty, particularly in empowerment of the individual, is important and was part of the founders' vision. It also provides statistics to back the claim that the federal government expanded its role in the recent years, and defends the concept of American exceptionalism, arguing that America is "worth saving". The next chapter titled "Why States Matter" goes back into the early history of the United States, explaining how the American colonists were "fed up" with the faraway government in England. It also describes the American tradition of federalism from the standpoint of the Federalist Papers, and the reasoning behind the adoption of the Tenth Amendment. It then provides a contemporary account, explaining that the morals of individuals vary between different states, which allows individuals to vote with their feet. Perry says that while Massachusetts "passed state-run health care...[and] sanctioned gay marriage...[Texans] limit regulations, keep taxes low, leave marriage between a man and a woman, and let our citizens choose their own health care plan". He then explains that states can be laboratories to see which policies work and which do not.
In the next section, Perry discusses slavery and argues that such legislation as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and the Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford were assaults on the states' rights of the northern states. He comments that the American Civil War was inevitable and that the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments along with the Civil Rights Act were all necessary for individual rights. However, in the next chapter titled "What Happened to the Founders' Vision", Perry argues that the federal government grew too powerful during the Progressive Era and cites the Sixteenth and Seventeenth amendments as an attack on states' rights. Further, he feels that the New Deal policies of President Franklin Roosevelt created a "massive federal government" and welfare state. He argues that it did not end the Great Depression, which instead was settled by World War II. Perry finds that later presidents such as Lyndon Johnson felt the New Deal worked and initiated their own spending programs like the Great Society. He argues that Presidents and Congress have overly been broad in their interpretation of the Commerce Clause.
The next chapter, titled "Washington Is Bankrupting America", Perry goes in-depth about the debt situation in the United States, railing against earmarks and entitlement spending, particularly Social Security. He explains that recent overspending, starting under President George W. Bush for temporary relief, became the primary policy of Barack Obama, and is actually preventing recession recovery and economic freedom. In the next chapter, "No American Left Alone", Perry details the growing bureaucracy in the federal government, which he feels is overreaching. He explicitly denounces "Obamacare", the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as an unconstitutional intrusion, and derides the No Child Left Behind Act and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The sixth chapter, titled "Nine Unelected Judges Tell Us How to Live", examines the Supreme Court of the United States and how some of its decisions have taken away the right of states to legislate, particularly on criminal law, religious expression in public, gun law, abortion, marriage and race-based law. He argues that many of the justices are activists, making policy on their own rather than interpreting the Constitution. He finds this to be troubling since justices are unelected and appointed for life. He calls for two constitutional amendments to remedy this—one that would abolish lifetime appointments for judges, and another to give Congress the power to override Supreme Court decisions by a two-thirds majority from both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The next chapter, "The Federal Government Fiddles" argues that the federal government is too busy involving itself in the business of the states, causing it to abandon its Constitutionally-mandated responsibilities. He cites as evidence, the federal government's failure to secure the southern border with Mexico and the issue of illegal immigration. He defends the right of states such as Arizona to pass immigration laws in the absence of the federal government. Further, he criticizes the lack of innovation in the military, and identifies the scrapping of missile defense and the space program as a chance for other nations to catch up. He expresses that stagnation and excess in the intelligence and counterterrorism communities causes the nation to be less safe.
In the chapter, "Standing Athwart History", Perry makes the case that the Democratic Party is not the party of the people as it once was, and explains that he left the party in 1989 because it became the party of government. He argues that Democrats are increasing the size of the federal government as some Republicans help and others stand by and call for them to stop. He lists the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan, the 1994 Republican Revolution and the 2000 election of Bush as paramount moments for the conservative cause that were squandered, especially in the case of Bush. He compliments Bush for his leadership in the war on terror, but criticizes him for his economic policies. Perry sees promise for conservatives in the Tea Party movement to reverse the growth of the federal government. The next chapter, titled "The States do the Work of the People", Perry describes how the Federal Emergency Management Agency got in the way of states following Hurricane Katrina. He compares the tax burden of citizens to the federal government to that of the states, and finds that states use the revenue more efficiently. Moreover, he says that states have a right to "push back" against the federal government in court. He cites California's legalization of medicinal marijuana. He also defends his decision not to accept stimulus money in order to prevent the federal encroachment from the strings attached.
In final chapter, "Retaking the Reins of Government", Perry begins with a detailed account of an idyllic world in 2026, on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He describes it as a "world where people are free and government is minimalized, and as a result we live in prosperity according to our own hard work". In order to attain this world, Perry lists five goals:
- "Repeal Obamacare"
- "Stand Up and Lead"
- "Sustain a National Dialogue About Limited, Constitutional Government"
- "Elect Leaders Who Respect the Constitution and Hold Them Accountable"
- "Adopt Certain Important Structural Reforms"
The book concludes with an author's note from Perry, who states that the Texas Public Policy Foundation will lead a national discussion on the issue of federalism and will receive the net proceeds of Perry from the sale of the book.
