University of Kwazulu-Natal

South Carolina Shines In National Report Tracking Federalism Threats

Bonisiwe Shabane
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south carolina shines in national report tracking federalism threats

Since at least the Great Depression, the federal administrative state has expanded its reach dramatically. This is a severe challenge for democracy. But fortunately, South Carolina is holding its own…for now. In the State Policy Network’s annual Federalism Scorecard, the Palmetto State ranks 5th in the nation—that means South Carolina is the fifth least vulnerable to encroachment of federal power for 2025. Federalism, the division of powers between the state and federal government, is a fundamental concept outlined in the United States Constitution. However, a state’s sovereignty can be at risk when the federal government exercises power outside of the powers granted to it within the Constitution.

Federal agencies have asserted the power to create rules with which states must comply or risk penalties. Federal overreach can occur when these agencies create regulations that go beyond what is expressly approved by Congress in legislation. But because agency bureaucrats are not elected officials, they are not held accountable to voters at the ballot box. There are many states in this nation that are working tirelessly to maintain their sovereignty and constitutionally granted powers. South Carolina was one of the states recognized by SPN’s scorecard for preserving federalism, with one of the highest scores of 35.69. The State Policy Network takes two factors into account when calculating scores:

Within these two factors, they are further subdivided into the following categories, used to determine how protected states are from vulnerabilities: The Center for Practical Federalism at State Policy Network released the 2024 Federalism Scorecard —a report that reveals the vulnerability of states to influence by the federal government. Before we get into the details of the report, let’s first explore why federalism matters and how the balance of power in America has shifted away from states and toward Washington, DC Federalism is a system of government—America’s system—where some powers belong to the national government, and some powers belong to state governments. While the federal government plays an important role, the US Constitution reserves significant powers for states and communities—and ultimately, for the American people. This balance ensures that government remains close to those it serves.

However, over the years, power has shifted away from the states and towards the federal government. America’s federalist system, as it was designed, is no longer recognizable. Power has centralized in Washington DC primarily through federal agencies—or government organizations under the Executive Branch that were created to help the president enforce the laws. Think the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). While only a handful of agencies existed during America’s early days, that number has increased significantly. Today, there are over 400federal agencies with thousands of employees.

This special report prepared by the Center for Practical Federalism at State Policy Network is derived from a 50-state analysis of multiple variables—our Federalism Scorecard—that reveal the vulnerability of states to influence by federal... States that perform well on this Scorecard place authority over internal state agency operations, as well as the state’s relationship with federal agencies, in the hands of elected officials rather than unelected administrators. We include the extent to which state agencies are accountable to legislators in our analysis (rather than simply looking at state–federal relations), because federal agencies often exert power through their state counterparts. If elected officials don’t have visibility and oversight with regard to their own state’s agencies, in other words, they won’t be able to check federal influence over how their own laws and budgets are... The first set of variables assesses the extent to which elected representatives properly govern state agencies, and the second set assesses the extent to which those representatives have visibility and authority over their state’s... This report draws its reform recommendations from the best laws in “red” and “blue” states alike, consistent with the principle that citizens ought to be governed by people they elect.

*Correction: A 5-point adjustment was made to South Carolina’s score due to a scoring error. This update did not affect the state’s overall ranking. Compare with the 2024 Federalism Scorecard What a year 2025 has been for the state of South Carolina! With a 2026 election cycle well underway (including a series of Statehouse special elections in recent days) and a busy initial year of the two-year legislative session, there has been no shortage of political... As we prepare for the 2026 legislative session, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the impact Palmetto Promise Institute has had on

There are very few policy issues that drastically affect families, employers, and the state economy all at the same time, but child care certainly fits in this category. South Carolina parents are struggling to find affordable child care, making it increasingly difficult to balance holding down a job and raising a family. Many parents face termination or reduced hours, as frequent child care-related absences— defined as time off required to provide necessary care or attention to a child when normal care On April 28, 2023, Samantha Miller died tragically after being struck by a drunk driver in Folly Beach, South Carolina. It was her wedding day. What was supposed to be the happiest day of her life turned into a nightmare for Samantha, her fiancé, and her family.

In South Carolina, drunk driving is not just a statistic—it is a way of life for some drivers. In 2022, South Palmetto Promise Institute was proud to join the coalition letter below in support of the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act, which we have previously written about here and here. We, the undersigned organizations, urge South Carolina legislators to advance and enact the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act (H. 3021) – a commonsense REINS-style reform that State Policy Network filed an amicus brief with more than 30 organizations (including Palmetto Promise Institute) in support of The Buckeye Institute v.

Internal Revenue Service—a case challenging a decades-old federal law that forces nonprofits to hand over the names and addresses of their largest donors to the IRS each year. The brief argues that Rosanne Haggerty, Ruby Bolaria Shifrin, Jacob Taylor, Kershlin Krishna, Sara Bronin, Nick Cain, Xiomara Cisneros, Adam Ruege, Henri Hammond-Paul, Jamie Rife, Josh Humphries, Beth Noveck

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