I agree that it depends on the issues, but, part of the problem that we are dealing with now is because we got away from the structure that this country was based on. The state was to be the powerful entity with a weaker federal gov't. We started away from this during the War between the States. When the South tried to do what they had every right to do, secceed, the Federal gov't grew more powerful. I would generally default to the State, all things being equal and knowing full well that the USA depends on this structure of cohesive states.
You may notice that I used the term War between the States instead of the more common but incorrect label of Civil War. A civil war is between a common people fighting for power over everyone. Be it the gov't or ideology. The south had no desire to take over the federal gov't or the other states, therefore a civil war term is inaccurate.
I prefer the term "War Against Northern Aggression".
The war wasn't about secession or slavery or "holding the union together" as the history books try to make you believe. The war was about the highly populated and manufacturing-based northern states using their power in Congress to force the lesser populated and export-based southern states to subsidize the northern economy. The southern states finally had enough and chose to secede and form their own country. Fearing the loss of those subsidies, the United States went to war with the Confederate States to bring the southern economy back in.
It disgusts me when the wrong answer is considered the right answer by educators. For example, in an educational setting, what is the "correct" answer to a question of "What document freed the slaves?"
Our schools are not about education, they are about re-education and indoctrination.