Question

"Laboratories of democracy" is another name for the states.

What is the rationale behind that nickname?

Responses

The term comes from the nineteenth century, when state politics were more scientific than the machine politics of cities.

The term comes from the nineteenth century, when state politics were more scientific than the machine politics of cities.

States are the primary sponsors of industrial research.

States are the primary sponsors of industrial research.

State governments use their powers to experiment with new policies.

State governments use their powers to experiment with new policies.

The federal government experiments with policies by making individual states try things out.

The federal government experiments with policies by making individual states try things out.

Answer 1

Correct answer: State governments use their powers to experiment with new policies.

Rationale: The phrase (famously used by Justice Louis Brandeis) means that states can try out novel social and economic policies on a smaller scale. If a policy works, other states or the federal government can adopt it; if it fails, the harm is contained. This encourages policy innovation, learning from successes and failures, and reduces the risk of one bad national experiment.