I think a centralized government is necessary for interstate projects like a massive transit system that is affordable and widely available is essential.
yes a central government is essential and there are 2 kinds of central government a federation and a confederation with the main difference being that a federation has way to much power over everything and a confederation only has power over interstate projects like you stated and the military since the purpose of the military is to defend all the states.
it's unfortunate that the military that was design with honor to only defend the states from outside threats, has shamelessly lost all honor as they protect the special interest groups. we need to bring back honor to the military and stop fighting for foreign interest and start fighting for our interest. feel free to bitch about my violence but I think the military needs to pull out of middle east and invade Mexico since the biggest terrorist threat to the US right now is the drug cartels. with that said our military needs to come down on them like they did to the Columbian. but this just makes room for a new drug cartel like how the Mexician took over after the columbian were gone.
fixing the economy is easier then everyone thinks, simply end prohibition. the war on drugs is just bleeding money and there is no possible way to to end drugs. the economy is based on supply and demand and will get a HUGE stimulus if drugs could be legally bought. once this is done the drugs will get alot safer pretty quick when the pharmaceutical businesses start researching these drugs. as a confederate I think the states can decide if they want to end prohibition in their states or not and can put regulations in it so that all drugs sold in that state are manufactured in that state as well providing much needed jobs.
another requirement for fixing the economy is to end the federal reserve or at least take it back from the private organization that run it and make it a government agency with an elected official, the states should be allowed to print their own money as well. putting an end to the banking system is another much needed solution that I'm hoping will come from the Occupy movement.
I also propose several presidents since the ones that are good with the economy suck with military strategy and vice versa. I think a president for the economy will be the leader of the new federal reserve and the treasury. we need a president to control the military and his only responsibility should be the military and we should elect a military man or woman for this job for their the only ones that can respectfully run a military, my vote would be for General Petraeus for he can bring honor back to the military. and some other for roads and the environment and such.