In fact, once a program has been adopted by a large number of states it may become recognized as a legitimate state responsibility, some-thing which all states ought to have. When this happens it becomes extremely difficult for state decision makers to resist even the weakest kinds of demands to institute the program for fear of arousing public suspicions about their good intentions; once a program has gained the stamp of legitimacy, it has a momentum of its own..
The reason I chose this section is because I feel it brings the whole substance of the article into summation. Although it is interesting to look at which states are most likely to try something new first and how quickly this new idea will be adopted by the other states and how it assimilates into the American culture what I think is most important is that it happens at all. America is advanced citizenship and in order for that to work and prosper it is important that new ideas and concepts evolve, get tested and then become part of the fabric of the nation. If we had to depend on the national government to do this, especially in a country as large as our the wheels of progress would move much more slowly because testing something new, the legalization of medical marijuana or gay marriage for example, on such a large population would be of much greater risk and take much longer to evaluate. But if these new ideas are tested at the state level, a more limited population, the risk is greatly reduced and the outcome and public reaction, whether rejected or accepted, can be gauged much more quickly.
Once an idea is given legitimacy it is much easier for the other states to adopt similar versions of the same concept with the eventual potential of it becoming accepted on the Federal level. One of the icons incorporated into the Great Seal on the back of the dollar bill is an unfinished pyramid. The pyramid is unfinished because this country is meant to me unfinished, it is meant to always be a work in progress. One of the best ways for this work in progress to evolve efficiently is to allow the various states to test new ideas, evaluate the results and then, should the prove positive and effective have the other states adopt them at whatever rate and at whatever time those who govern that state feel is correct. The pyramid is never meant to be finished, this country is never meant to be finished but it is meant to evolve and that is why it is of the utmost importance that the states all try new ideas, as they see fit for their population and then for the rest of the states to follow suit as they see fit without intervention from the Federal Government because this method of progress will allow more ideas to be tested at one time and for society to progress with more speed and diversity.
