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The Democrats have been decimated nationally and now face a national government controlled, in all three branches, by Republicans. In response, quite cynically, theres been a revival of a certain states rights mentality among liberals.

In sanctuary cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Oakland, mayors have boldly stated that they will not cooperate with federal authorities seeking to deport undocumented denizens. Like Loretta Lynch, under Barack Obama, Trump has said he will cut off federal funds to cities that do not submit to federal will.

Democrat Governors like Dan Malloy and Jerry Brown are saying they will challenge federal laws, and progressive groups are looking to the states more and more to get what they want.

I may not like a large chunk of the liberal agenda but, if there are other folks who want to help shift the field of battle from the national to the local level, Ill take it.

Since FDR, progressives and liberals have pushed for an ever-greater centralization of authority; but in the age of Trump, it will be Republicans who reap what Democrats have sown, and liberals are cowering.

Libertarians are the truest champions of political decentralization, and if liberals want to serve our ends we should let them.

If the centralization of authority that liberals have pushed for over the decades is still around after theyve lost power; then, by that logic, the decentralization they cynically retreat to, when theyve lost elections, can remain when they inevitably get back into power only to find that power has been oh-so-beautifully diminished.

We can use liberal angst against big government nationalistic Republicans today, and use the fruits of liberal rage against incumbent progressives tomorrow.

We libertarians should use the changing battlefield to our advantage. We should be part of the push to shift politics to local and state levels, and then use that opportunity to seek power at lower-level offices that are more easily influenced by insurgent movements like ours.

Libertarianism has often been described as the perpetual ideology of the opposition in the United States, and federalism doubly so. As the biggest advocates for the nationalization of politics suffer the effects of their disastrous ideology, lets take the opportunity to prevent them from being able to do much damage down the line.

Jacob Linker is a Campus Coordinator with Students For Liberty and the State Chair of Young Americans for Liberty in his state.

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Progressives are Retreating to Federalism: Ironic, but an Opportunity - Being Libertarian