# The States — The Conscience of a Conservative character guide

> The States in The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** the States, States, their, themselves

**First appearance:** 0001-the-conscience-of-a-conservative

## Who they are

The individual American states whose constitutional prerogatives the narrator champions against a federal government that has steadily usurped their rightful authority.

## Relationships

### [Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/narrator)

_friendship_

The narrator champions states' rights as a bulwark against federal overreach.

### [Mr. Larson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/mr_larson)

_professional_

Mr. Larson is a character involved in state-level political or economic matters.

### [Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/narrator)

_friendship_

The narrator champions states' rights as a bulwark against federal overreach.

## In the story

### [III: States’ Rights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/iii-states-rights)

Portrayed as having rightful jurisdiction in reserved areas, but being coerced by federal matching funds and threats.

### [IV: And Civil Rights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/iv-and-civil-rights)

States are asserted to have exclusive jurisdiction over education under the Tenth Amendment.

### [Freedom for the Farmer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/v-freedom-for-the-farmer)

The states are referenced as having constitutional jurisdiction over agriculture, which was usurped by the federal government.

### [Freedom for Labor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/vi-freedom-for-labor)

Referenced as having enacted right-to-work laws, which Goldwater supports as a remedy for compulsory unionism.

### [VIII: The Welfare State](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/viii-the-welfare-state)

The states are proposed as the appropriate level of government for any necessary public intervention, as they are less capable of accumulating vast political power.

### [IX: Some Notes on Education](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/chapters/ix-some-notes-on-education)

Referenced as the proper level for educational responsibility and funding.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters/the_states
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscience_of_a_conservative_se/characters