News broke today about President Obama's apparent shift to playing offense against one of the GOP's chief complaints about his Presidency: that he's allowing Washington to become more and more out of control.

Obama seemed to realize (beyond doubt) today that the federal government has gotten too large and complex and that it needs to be downsized in order to work properly. Small government is something typically called for by Republicans, who should support Obama's plan. The President asked Congress to vote to allow him the power to merge six economically tied federal agencies into one. His reasoning is simple: their powers overlap and create a hassle for the average person if they run into issues. This is the first in what appears to be a string of reductions in the government should congress grant him this power, which a President has not had since Ronald Reagan.

If the Republicans in the senate hold true to their beliefs and requests over the past three years, Obama should be able to hold a promise he made in the last state of the Union address. The idea of smaller government has been an idea thrown around for a while now, and the chance to act upon it and potentially make America more efficient is ideal. However, many politicians are wary that Obama would use this power to undermine the authority of Congress, and that some of his changes may actually do more harm than good.

Of course, Republicans in congress could continue what they have been doing for three years now and oppose any proposal (including this one) that the President puts out, despite whatever they believe personally or as a party.

So, should Obama get the power to merge federal agencies? Why or why not?