Op-Ed: Limited Government Can Make a Comeback in Pandemic Era

Originally published in RealClear Policy.

This year’s federal deficit is set to match the entire 1996 federal budget, adjusted for inflation. Despite such overwhelming spending, Democrats in Congress have proposed an unprecedented $3.5 trillion budget, in addition to the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that failed its first Senate vote last week.

For advocates of limited government, it’s easy to feel like the fight is over and the country is on the path to fiscal ruin. But such pessimism is unwarranted.

The profligate political culture that has infected Washington and many state governments isn’t an historical end point. Though voters tend to enjoy handouts, at least temporarily, they dislike the long-term economic consequences of excessive spending. Moreover, the imperious actions of governors amid the COVID-19 crisis have weakened voters’ support for unrestricted executive powers and the government’s education monopoly.

In response, policymakers, including in Pennsylvania, are…

Read more at RealClear Policy.