How about a little Subsidiarity?

That's the argument made by Dr. Jeff Mirus over at Catholic Culture. He contrasts the traditional Catholic social principle of subsidiarity(i.e. the decentralization of political power) with the current trends of just the opposite; the greater centralization of political power. Perfect examples of this trend, according to Mirus, are: the UN, the EU, the World Court, and within an American context the Supreme Court. Each institution seeks to usurp the traditional sovereignty and jurisdiction of more local-based authorities; whether it be nation-states, regions, communities, etc.

In contrast, Mirus argues, subsidiarity is based on the notion that "each task in any commonwealth should be handled at the lowest level possible and that, conversely, there must be a compelling reason to remove authority in any matter from a more local to a less local jurisdiction."

Perhaps it should be noted that this reliance on local authorities was a major feature of the Medieval feudal system, in contrast to popular myth.

So yes, how about a little subsidiarity?