[brownbat]

I'd add that there are competing constitutional priorities, one of ensuring states can regulate their own affairs, and another of ensuring a common market, and ensuring that the legal frameworks of the various states are interlocking.

Balancing these two values is not trivial. Article 4 takes a shot, it's how we got here.

Odd to claim it's antithetical to American democracy. These sorts of compromises between union and independence, with all their odd imperfect results, are pretty thoroughly baked in.