Mr. Richert gives the common understanding of subsidiarity, and use it to defend American federalism. I've expressed my doubts before about whether the principle of subsidiarity actually applies to the American federal system (or any true federal system or arrangement, for that matter). The authority proper to the perfect community (the civitas) is certainly greater than that of the authority of the father within his family, but it should not take away from the execution of his duties.
Since vocal Catholic “defenders” of subsidiarity make such arguments, it is not surprising that another common misconception, especially among those who are skeptical of the influence of the Catholic Church on politics, is that (in the recent words of one European journalist) subsidiarity means “that the power rests at the top . . . but the power at the top will let some of it trickle down as it sees fit.”What is needed is a more careful exposition of what authority is, and what the limits are.
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