America Can’t Be Both A Welfare State And A Republic

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles written by former Sen. Jim DeMint. Read the introduction and the first article of the series here and here.

Societies are social constructs where people live together in community. Politics is the process of deciding how people live together. The larger and more diverse a population becomes, the more difficult the politics. In America, where shared values and assimilation have become anathema to Democrats and Democrat-aligned institutions, our diversity has exploded into disharmony and division.

How can federal policies restore national unity and love for country? We must refocus our policies at the federal level on the “general welfare” for all Americans and the overall good of the country rather than political pandering to a myriad of special interest groups.

In a healthy society, widespread interdependency is pervasive. People depend on each other in many ways. Family members support each other, especially when one member is suffering. Employees depend on their employers for their livelihoods and vice versa. The poor are often served by churches and volunteer organizations. Citizens depend on their government for protection and safety, and government depends on its citizens for funding and election support.

These forms of interdependency are the glue that holds families, communities, and nations together. But when healthy interdependency is replaced with a one-way dependence on government by its citizens, societal cohesion disappears. Unity deteriorates into suspicion and entitlement. 

In a constitutional republic where citizens elect their representatives, vote to restrain government growth and spending, and hold government officials accountable for their actions, those same citizens must avoid becoming dependent on government for their basic needs — including income, food, housing, and health care.

Dependence on federal and state governments for personal needs creates conflicting interests for both elected officials and voters. Elections become bidding wars between candidates who promise more and more from government. Dependent voters lose interest in limited government and vote for the candidates who promise to give them more stuff. Government spending and debt continually ratchet up as fraud and corruption increase exponentially. This is what is currently happening in America.

Democrats, with the help of some “enlightened” Republicans, have for years been highlighting various victim groups and buying their votes with targeted government spending. This public bribery has led to an increasing number of Americans who are dependent on the government for essential personal needs. And this public dependency is not just the result of welfare programs for the poor.

Social Security and Medicare are designed to force senior Americans into dependency on the government. Americans contribute 15 percent of their paychecks into Social Security and Medicare during their whole working life, but when they retire, their incomes and health care from these programs are controlled by the government. So, even for Americans who have worked hard and saved their entire lives, Democrat politicians use these entitlement programs to frighten and manipulate them every election (i.e., “Republicans are going to take your Social Security and Medicare!”).

Roughly a third of the U.S. population is directly dependent on some form of federal or state government assistance, plus many more family members who benefit indirectly. The stats laid out by USAFacts and HHS are dire. At least 30 percent directly receive welfare like SNAP, housing assistance, and Medicaid, and at least 20 percent receive Social Security, Medicare, or both. Not to mention the 15 percent of those in the workforce employed by governments at all levels, as well as those who benefit from free public education, subsidized mass transit, and other public services. 

Government — especially the federal government — should only provide services that individuals, businesses, and organizations cannot reasonably provide for themselves. These government services include making and enforcing laws, maintaining roads and infrastructure, and applying the minimum level of regulations necessary to protect citizens. However, direct dependency on government by individuals for essential personal services destroys the fabric of society and corrupts the democratic political system.

Governments at the local and state levels might reasonably provide temporary assistance to the poor in cooperation with local churches and charities, but no support program should be designed to trap people in dependency for generations. And for seniors, Social Security and Medicare could easily be transitioned to personal saving accounts and individually owned health insurance.

America will not survive if we maintain the current levels of dependency on government. But changing the current course will be very difficult. Slowing the growth of spending now directed at keeping major population groups dependent on the government has been virtually impossible.

Democrats know a large majority of Americans disagree with their policies, so their political survival depends on voters who are dependent on the government. Democrats know a dependent voter is a dependable vote! Ineffective and wasteful programs must be cut, but Republicans should be careful when they talk about cutting programs (it’s hard to take things away from voters). They should offer reasonable alternatives to reduce dependency while promoting freedom, dignity, and responsible government.