The Constitutional Convention was, of course, a repudiation of the power of the states under the Articles of Confederation. Yet, even after the states ratified the Constitution, there were national leaders (Jefferson, Madison) who maintained that the states continued to have very, very significant power under the Constitution (including the power to nullify federal acts, as witnessed in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions). What advantages are there for the decentralization of power to the state level? In other words, in what areas is it more advantageous for the states to exercise governmental authority rather than the federal government?