fathers' original plan, the articles of confederation which let the states run the show, they trashed the thing substituting the constitution to create a stronger central government with powers both vague and specific. the power specifically to raise your taxes and then to spend it on pretty much whatever the government wants. the quote to provide for the general welfare. the power to regulate commerce across national borders and across state borders. the power to write the rules of naturalizing citizens. the federal power has even more power to ensure voting rights. the 17th amendment took away the power of state legislatures to elect u.s. senators adding to existing constitutional limits on the states. no separate foreign policies. no state currency, no taxing goods to or from other states and the list goes on. as garrett epps of "the atlantic" the u.s. constitution even refers to international law.