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« The Finest Resolutions Money Can Buy | Main | We Win By Default! » March 25, 2006The Best Constituents Money Can BuyBack during the heady days of the GOP Revolution, the small-government rhetoric emphasized the salutary nature of welfare reform on our national character: Democrats had essentially bought themselves a constituency with entitlements, simultaneously sapping Americans of precious self-reliance. We were told that getting people off the public dole was not just fiscally responsible and practical; it would renew a spirit of independence that would check and ever-growing Federal Leviathan. A country in which few needed the government for a safety net would be a strong, idyllic Republic. Things didn't quite work out that way: A sweeping expansion of social programs since 2000 has sparked a record increase in the number of Americans receiving federal government benefits such as college aid, food stamps and health care.The study notes that the expansion occurred mostly in the under-65 crowd, as former welfare recipients moved to other forms of federal assistance to supplement low wages. This, I think, is a relative improvement, as people seem to be less dependent on the national government. But as far as the goal of diminishing the role of government as a significant factor in the everyday lives of Americans, welfare reform (or Republicans) failed. What's more, this trend, if it persists, will likely hurt Republicans in the polls in the long term. I'm rather persuaded by Tucker Carlson's argument that once the public accepts that the government will supply a goody, they will almost always choose Democrats to deliver it, as the Dems will usually put together a more attractive package. (If the current security policymakers continue to be stubborn, Republicans could easily be outflanked in this arena as well -- whether the Democrats could get their act together in time to do so is a different question.) Posted by Zach Wendling at March 25, 2006 07:55 PM Comments |
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