You said, “I actually think the US has an incredibly ineffectual central government as central governments go.”

Definition of ineffectual

1 : not producing the proper or intended effect : futile

2 : ineffective

I think the U.S. central government is producing the intended effect. I might agree that it might not be producing the proper effect but that might be because of its charter.

“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

I am guessing you think the U.S. Government is ineffective at promoting the general welfare compared to the other G7 countries, United States, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Italy, Japan and Germany. Well, it is not a fair comparison. Most of those countries the U.S. rebuilt after WWII under the Marshal plan and Canada never had the kind of civil war and civil strife the U.S. had to cope with because of the huge role the end of slavery played in the late 19th and early 20th century and the lingering racial problems we still have. Which also goes to the issue of “establish justice” and “domestic tranquility.”

Also remember that the constitution also limits the powers of the federal government “Courts will not interpret the Preamble to confer any rights or powers not granted specifically in the Constitution.” The Constitution grants most powers to the States not to the Federal Government.

I think that given the challenges the U.S. system of government (states and federal) has been quite effective in meeting it obligations as defined in the Constitution.

You should take a look at the correlation between prosperity and latitude. The farther south you are the poorer you are.

Capitals of G7 countries by latitude

London 52

Berlin 52

Paris 48

Ottawa 45

Rome 42

Washington DC 39

Tokyo 36

We know the Japanese secret, they don’t really allow immigrants.

A few more prosperous countries

Oslo 60

Stockholm 59

Helsinki 60

Copenhagen 56

Brussels 51

Bern 47

Seoul 38

Look at the countries around the equator, not so rich.

TEK