It worked pretty well before the 1960s.
We did fine without abortion and gay marriage, for instance.
By "it" I guess you mean governments outlawing, for instance, abortion and sodomy.
I think I probably agree with Joe, but only as far as it relates to the U.S. Constitution.
Then (Amendment X), "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
So, when certain States outlawed those evil practices, the federal government was specifically prohibited from standing in their way, much less stopping them, without first amending the U.S. Constitution to get that power.
But, as we all know, that train left the station many decades ago. Thus, I support the Convention of States.