America Needs a Party of Responsible Government

Events of the past week have clarified why America is in steady decline. One political party is determined to pass (perhaps today) a massive piece of partisan legislation that will explode federal budget deficits and kick millions of people off health care to finance tax cuts for the wealthiest households in the country, covered up by accounting gimmicks. The other party is rallying behind a guy to lead the largest city in America who, just a few short years ago, passionately described the end goal of politics as electing more socialists and “seizing the means of production.”

If you don’t think either of these approaches makes much sense, too bad, you’re old or out of touch or not MAGA enough or not “authentically” progressive. So-called populism, we’re told, is the only mode of politics. Anything goes, nothing matters, the crazier the better. Policies are just social media hooks. No one cares about good governance. Get with the program or get crushed.

There is an alternative method of politics consistent with our country’s long history and basic values. But it will require a true party of responsible government, which we currently do not have. The basic framework for a responsible government party and movement is threefold:

Pro-growth economic and energy policies. Widely shared economic growth is essential for future American success. Without growth, the country lacks the resources and jobs necessary to provide solid pay for workers and fund important social welfare policies to help fight poverty, prop up low-wage employment, and extend health care access and education to all people. Economic growth drives wealth-building and family security through expanded access to homeownership and other investments that fund college educations for young people, new small businesses, and retirements for older Americans. Working cooperatively with business towards a common goal of growth and good wages, unions and other worker-led organizations are also essential for making sure the nation’s economic wealth is shared fairly with those who produce and consume our national output.

Likewise, a mix of regulatory reforms to encourage more development of affordable “all of the above” energy sources, housing, and transportation—along with national investments in strategic industries and the foundations of high-skilled employment—will be required to help drive this growth. Whenever economic concentration constrains economic growth, anti-monopoly measures should be employed to help level the playing field and restore competition domestically and internationally against countries like China.

Accountable governance. A responsible government requires accountability. Above all, this means paying for the programs that the American people support through progressive taxation or other consumption taxes. America cannot afford to keep cutting taxes (particularly for top earners and large businesses) while ignoring the costs of the always expanding array of social programs and other big ticket expenditures. If something is valued by Americans, then it is worth paying for collectively. Huge deficit spending should be reserved for economic downturns and other emergencies, not as a normal course of action, year after year. When possible, government programs should also be consolidated to ensure that money spent on worthy goals such as helping families with children or funding development projects is not wasted on duplicative or out-of-date models.

Responsible government requires accountability on crime and immigration as well, ensuring that our neighborhoods and public spaces are safe and that our borders are secure. Immigration policy itself should aid the larger goal of economic growth by focusing on high-skilled immigrants who help American businesses and help “fuel innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Accountability will also require political reforms to end the increasingly chaotic process of unified party governments passing massive legislation that few people read with no support from the other party and little rationality about what goes into it. Congress should return to legislating cooperatively on single subject bills—one bill at a time with germane amendments. Similarly, Congress itself and all elected officials should be accountable to the people and not big donors and lobbyists. Strict transparency measures and other steps to get dark money out of politics are essential to establishing responsibility in government.

Basic rights. America is based on individual liberty and equal rights for all. This means a responsible government should always defend freedom of speech and freedom of worship from infringements by various ideological movements trying to restrict the rights of others. This also means upholding core 14^th Amendment and Civil Rights Era equality and anti-discrimination measures, promoting color blindness in all policies, and treating all people equally regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or sex.

Responsible government should defend these basic rights—and drop the pursuit of special rights tied to ideological fads or attempts to limit the rights of other Americans.

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Is responsible government boring? Absolutely. That’s the entire point. The flashy people and their movements on the right and left that took over American politics promptly turned everything into a mess.

Yet responsible government is not the sole purview of the establishment or the status quo. On the contrary, too many establishment figures in both parties have been irresponsible when it comes to advancing growth, accountability, and core rights for all Americans. For decades, Republicans and Democrats failed to create a growing economy that benefits all people and all regions. They failed to enact responsible tax and spending programs that keep deficits in check. They failed to defend essential American rights for everyone in favor of ideological attacks on their opponents. The establishment deserves the scorn it gets for neglecting core national needs and opening the door to many of the extreme or implausible alternatives popular today.

Responsible government will require serious reforms—and political reformers to carry them out. This means pro-America policies developed and conducted by people with a different outlook on politics than those who currently dominate. People who aren’t looking for stardom or media riches or plaudits from online activists. Leaders who don’t promise the stars to voters and then deliver poor governance and dashed hopes. Leaders who work cooperatively to advance the nation’s interests and the well-being of everyone, not just the obsessions of their own party’s voters, activists, and donors.

Republicans and Democrats are welcome to take up the mantle of responsible government. It would be ideal if factions in both parties at least gave it a shot and rejected the irresponsible extremists and sclerotic institutions within their midst. But if the two parties can’t or don’t want to be responsible governing forces, then alternative parties and movements will almost certainly rise to fill the void.

The Party of Responsible Government’s agenda is simple and waiting for champions: Grow the economy. Pay the nation’s bills. Protect and support the people. Defend their rights. The American way.

Happy Independence Day!