{"id":2581161,"date":"2026-03-18T07:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/america-cant-be-a-welfare-state-and-a-republic-at-the-same-time\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T07:29:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T11:29:37","slug":"america-cant-be-a-welfare-state-and-a-republic-at-the-same-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/america-cant-be-a-welfare-state-and-a-republic-at-the-same-time\/","title":{"rendered":"America Can&#8217;t Be Both A Welfare State And A Republic"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famerica-cant-be-a-welfare-state-and-a-republic-at-the-same-time%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2581161&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>This article, the second in a Jim DeMint series, argues that healthy societies depend on interdependent relationships and that federal policy should prioritize the general welfare for all Americans over political pandering to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dem-gov-hopefuls-side-with-union-in-fight-over-virginia-school-closures\/\" title=\"Dem Gov Hopefuls Side With Union in Fight Over Virginia School Closures\">special interest groups<\/a>. It contends that the United States\u2019 growing diversity and political divisions have eroded national unity, and that restoring unity requires limiting government growth and avoiding widespread personal dependence on federal programs. The piece calls for a shift from one-way dependence to a framework where individuals, families, churches, and communities support each other, with government roles limited to essential functions like enforcing laws, building roads, and reasonable regulation.<\/p>\n<p>DeMint asserts that excessive dependence on government for basic needs undermines social cohesion and corrupts democracy,leading to elections driven by promises of more government \u201csolutions.\u201d He notes that a significant portion of Americans are directly or indirectly dependent on government assistance, including welfare programs and Social security\/Medicare, and argues that these entitlements drive political fear and manipulation. The author suggests reforming programs to reduce dependency-such as transitioning Social Security and Medicare toward personal saving accounts and privately owned health insurance-while permitting local and charitable efforts to assist the poor temporarily. He acknowledges the political difficulty of slowing government spending but urges Republicans to offer realistic alternatives that promote freedom, dignity, and responsible governance rather than simply cutting programs. The piece closes by presenting DeMint\u2019s background and his latest book.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>Editor&rsquo;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 <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/17\/how-the-gop-can-stop-being-the-do-nothing-party-and-offer-america-a-vision-to-vote-for\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/03\/17\/you-cant-have-a-free-country-when-the-government-makes-choices-for-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>How can <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >federal policies restore national unity<\/a> and love for country? We must refocus our policies at the federal level on the &ldquo;general welfare&rdquo; for all Americans and the overall good of the country rather than political pandering to a myriad of special interest groups.<\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In a constitutional republic where citizens elect their representatives, vote to restrain government growth and spending, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/activist-who-held-the-five-aborted-babies-explains-why-he-will-never-be-the-same\/\" title=\"Activist Who Held \u2018The Five\u2019 Aborted Babies Explains Why He Will \u2018Never Be The Same\u2019\u00a0\">hold government officials accountable<\/a> for their actions, those same citizens must avoid becoming dependent on government for their basic needs &mdash; including income, food, housing, and health care.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats, with the help of some &ldquo;enlightened&rdquo; 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.<\/p>\n<p>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., &ldquo;Republicans are going to take your Social Security and Medicare!&rdquo;).<\/p>\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Government &mdash; especially the federal government &mdash; 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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>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&rsquo;s hard to take things away from voters). They should offer reasonable alternatives to reduce dependency while promoting freedom, dignity, and responsible government.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p>      Jim DeMint is a former Senator from South Carolina and best-selling author. His latest book is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/What-Bible-Really-Says-Creation\/dp\/195645490X\">What the Bible Really Says about Creation, End Times, Politics and You<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This piece argues that societies are built on people living together, and politics is how they decide to do that. In the United States, growing diversity and partisan divides have strained shared values and created discord. The fix, the author says, is to steer federal policy toward broad well-being for all Americans rather than catering to many special-interest groups.<\/p>\n<p>Healthy communities depend on widespread interdependence: families support one another, workers rely on employers, churches and charities aid the needy, and citizens rely on government for protection while government relies on citizens for funding. When this interdependence becomes one-way dependence on government, social cohesion breaks down and a sense of entitlement grows.<\/p>\n<p>In a constitutional republic, citizens should elect representatives, seek to restrain government growth and spending, and hold officials accountable, while avoiding reliance on the state for basic needs such as income, food, housing, and health care. Dependence on government for everyday essentials creates conflicting interests for both voters and leaders and turns elections into competitions for more government goods. This is the trend the author sees in America today.<\/p>\n<p>The author contends that Democrats-and some Republicans-have long used targeted spending to win votes by appealing to various victim groups, which fosters dependency not only among the poor but also through programs like Social Security and Medicare. These entitlement programs are portrayed as tools that frighten seniors into backing those who promise to preserve or expand them, particularly during elections.<\/p>\n<p>Approximately one-third of Americans are directly dependent on some form of federal or state assistance, with many more benefiting indirectly. Estimates from sources like USAFacts and HHS are cited to show that about 30% receive welfare or housing aid, around 20% rely on Social Security or Medicare, and roughly 15% of workers are employed by government at some level, alongside subsidies for things like public education and mass transit.<\/p>\n<p>The proper role of government, the piece argues, is to provide only those services that private individuals or markets cannot reasonably supply-enforcing laws, maintaining roads and infrastructure, and applying a minimal level of regulation to protect citizens. Direct dependency on government for essential personal services, it says, undermines the social fabric and corrupts the democratic system.<\/p>\n<p>Local and state governments might offer temporary aid in partnership with churches and charities, but programs should not trap people in dependence for generations. For seniors, the article suggests transitioning Social Security and Medicare toward personal saving accounts and privately owned health coverage.<\/p>\n<p>The author warns that America cannot endure the current level of dependence on government, but acknowledges that changing course will be very difficult. Slowing the growth of spending aimed at keeping large groups dependent has proved hard. Democrats, aware that many Americans disagree with their policies, rely on a base of dependent voters. The piece concludes by urging Republicans to propose credible alternatives that reduce dependency while preserving freedom, dignity, and responsible government.<\/p>\n<p>Jim DeMint, a former senator from South Carolina and author, is identified at the end<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4000,"featured_media":2581162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SSNcard.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5374,76040,19254,9116,76039],"class_list":["post-2581161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-america","tag-constitutionalism","tag-federalism","tag-republic","tag-welfare-state"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SSNcard.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581161"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581165,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581161\/revisions\/2581165"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2581162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}