--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's what the founding fathers…" description: "\"That's what the founding fathers intended, that most decisions be made at the state level, not at the federal level.\" — Carlos Lopez-Cantera" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/carlos-lopez-cantera-19195_decisions_that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intende_415075.jpg" --- # That's what the founding fathers intended, that most… ![“That's what the founding fathers intended, that most decisions be made at the state level, not at the federal level.” quote by Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/carlos-lopez-cantera-19195_decisions_that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intende_415075.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/carlos-lopez-cantera-19195_decisions_that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intende_415075.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/carlos-lopez-cantera-19195_decisions_that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intende_415075.jpg) > “That's what the founding fathers intended, that most decisions be made at the state level, not at the federal level.” [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that most decisions should be left to states rather than the federal government, emphasizing local autonomy. **In simple terms:** Decisions belong to states, not the federal level. Key Takeaway Advocate for decentralization. Themes governance federalism local control Mood thoughtful analytical Type political policy When to use this quote - state legislation - community planning - local elections - public services Key Concepts states politics policy decision-making Questions to Reflect On - How does local control affect national unity? - When should the federal government intervene? A Different Perspective May overlook national standards and coordination. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decisions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) [Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers/) [Founding fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding-fathers/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [At the federal level, as a member of Congress, you have one vote out of 435, and in the Senate, it's one out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/at-the-federal-level-as-a-member-of-congress-you-have-one-vote-out-of/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [All our final decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/all-our-final-decisions-are-made-in-a-state-of-mind-that-is-not-going/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [I have long been in favor of a balanced budget restriction at the level of the federal government of the United States. Because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-buchanan/i-have-long-been-in-favor-of-a-balanced-budget-restriction-at-the/) [James M. 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In the federal system, which has doubled in the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mccaffrey/we-have-1-8-million-americans-behind-bars-today-at-local-state-and/) [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) > [A lot of what is preventing us from getting things done on the federal level is that there is too much influence from special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gideon/a-lot-of-what-is-preventing-us-from-getting-things-done-on-the/) [Sara Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gideon/) > [Well, there are certain pockets of improvement. The one that I think is most important is that state and local law enforcement levels have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/well-there-are-certain-pockets-of-improvement-the-one-that-i-think-is/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Laying the groundwork for smaller, smarter government, especially at the federal level, is going to be tough. But it is essential for getting us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-koch/laying-the-groundwork-for-smaller-smarter-government-especially-at/) [Charles Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-koch/) ## More by Carlos Lopez-Cantera > [It's better to have security and not need it than need it and not have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/it-s-better-to-have-security-and-not-need-it-than-need-it-and-not/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) > [Florida doesn't need an immigration law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/florida-doesn-t-need-an-immigration-law/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) > [We keep a Jewish household and are raising our daughters Jewish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/we-keep-a-jewish-household-and-are-raising-our-daughters-jewish/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) > [The good thing about having a Republican primary is that the voters will decide our nominee - unlike the Democrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/the-good-thing-about-having-a-republican-primary-is-that-the-voters/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) > [I think we have enough Washington in Washington, and I think maybe we need a little more Florida, and this recipe that's worked for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/i-think-we-have-enough-washington-in-washington-and-i-think-maybe-we/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) > [When the opportunity presented itself, I had never been bar mitzvahed. 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I've lost an election myself, and it was very difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/losing-an-election-is-very-difficult-i-ve-lost-an-election-myself-and/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) > [I support parents making the best decisions for their kids' education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/i-support-parents-making-the-best-decisions-for-their-kids-education/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) > [As a believer in the free market, the sooner you have people with a job - the better chance they have a job, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/as-a-believer-in-the-free-market-the-sooner-you-have-people-with-a/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) > [I am honored to have been chosen by Gov. Scott to serve Floridians as their lieutenant governor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/i-am-honored-to-have-been-chosen-by-gov-scott-to-serve-floridians-as/) [Carlos Lopez-Cantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) [Explore all 33 Carlos Lopez-Cantera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/) ## More Decisions quotes > [“What can we do in any hardship? We can hope with prayerful praise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/what-can-we-do-in-any-hardship-we-can-hope-with-prayerful-praise/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Love is the foundation from which your decisions about your life should be made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-the-foundation-from-which-your-decisions-about-your-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The decisions we take reflects our belief and our charachter”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajnish-borah/the-decisions-we-take-reflects-our-belief-and-our-charachter/) Rajnish Borah > [Some might argue humans are hard-wired to fight. I don't agree: we are conscious beings who have the capacity to make decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/some-might-argue-humans-are-hard-wired-to-fight-i-don-t-agree-we-are/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [“Many people fail in their career, business and relationship, and others get stuck because of their inability to make quality decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkem-mpamah/many-people-fail-in-their-career-business-and-relationship-and-others/) [Nkem Mpamah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkem-mpamah/) > [“And so back to Cassie: who was she? Part of the deception; just a friend or something else…perhaps it was time to find out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-cusick-jones/and-so-back-to-cassie-who-was-she-part-of-the-deception-just-a-friend/) [Melanie Cusick-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-cusick-jones/) > [Decisions decide destiny, there is no action without decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/decisions-decide-destiny-there-is-no-action-without-decision/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“All you can do is make your decisions based on what you know now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malinda-lo/all-you-can-do-is-make-your-decisions-based-on-what-you-know-now/) [Malinda Lo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malinda-lo/) > [“Do you keep pace with those around you, or do you decide yourself just how you will live your life? The truth is...only you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/do-you-keep-pace-with-those-around-you-or-do-you-decide-yourself-just/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [You just try to make the best decisions you can. You just take life as it comes to you and do your best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rulon-gardner/you-just-try-to-make-the-best-decisions-you-can-you-just-take-life-as/) [Rulon Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rulon-gardner/) > [A film is a chain of very difficult decisions, and I think one of them is to choose an accurate cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-camara/a-film-is-a-chain-of-very-difficult-decisions-and-i-think-one-of-them/) [Javier Camara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-camara/) > [There are no minor decisions in movie making. 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Some of our decisions can have very significant consequences and totally change the courses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cage/we-as-individuals-are-defined-by-the-choices-we-make-some-of-our/) [David Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cage/) [Browse all 1,926 Decisions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decisions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That's what the founding fathers intended, that most decisions be made at the state level, not at the federal level.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carlos Lopez-Cantera" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intended-that-most-decisions-be-made/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decisions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intended-that-most-decisions-be-made/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/carlos-lopez-cantera-19195_decisions_that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intende_415075.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/carlos-lopez-cantera-19195_decisions_that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intende_415075.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/000/carlos-lopez-cantera-19195_decisions_that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intende_415075.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That's what the founding fathers intended, that most decisions be made at the state level, not at the…” — Carlos Lopez-Cantera", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carlos Lopez-Cantera", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-lopez-cantera/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That's what the founding fathers intended,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intended-that-most-decisions-be-made/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-lopez-cantera/that-s-what-the-founding-fathers-intended-that-most-decisions-be-made/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```