Good for the Goose, Good for the Gander

Justin of Southern Appeal takes the republicans to task.

He believes they have strayed from their original mandate as "small government" advocates. As evidence, he cites this essay from the Cato Intitute's David Boaz:

Madison, the principal author of the U.S. Constitution, sought to establish a limited federal government. In arguing for its ratification, he promised Americans, "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the gederal government are few and defined." A few years later, faced with a bill appropriating $15,000 for the relief of French refugees, he rose on the floor of the House to say that he could not "undertake to lay [his] finger on that article in the Federal Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

That's a far cry from the philosophy of George Allen, who has introduced a bill in the United States Senate to require official approval of any TV ratings system. Indeed, if Madison's spirit could visit the Commerce Committee hearing room where Allen's bill was discussed, it would probably say with some severity, "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article in the Federal Constitution which granted a right to Congress to regulate television ratings."

Allen is hardly the only member of Congress who would be a great disappointment to the Founders. For years, Republicans argued that the Democratic majority in Congress was intruding the federal government into more and more matters best left to the states, the local communities, or the private sector. After 10 years in power, however, the Republicans have seen the Democrats' intrusiveness and raised them.

After presenting Mr. Boaz's complaint, Justin opines:

Me: We can quibble to what extent this is true, but there's no denying the simple fact that Republicans, as a party, are no longer the champions of smaller government. What's worse, regretfully so, is that very few of us "conservatives," by our actions, seem to give a rats arse so as long as elected officials keep promising to promote social values and support originalist judicial nominees.
I'm coming to understand more and more that it's not one or the other - social values or small government...pick one - it's both, and it's time the GOP acted like it.

He makes a fair point. The Republicans had long complained of the Democrats' "tax and spend" ways. They came to power in Congress with a mandate for smaller government. After ten years in Washington, they have not achieved what they had said was their goal. Far from it. While Mr. Boaz may overreach to the libertarian extreme on how far the government has gone, no sane person would argue that the Federal Government's size and influence has decreased. In fact, some of Congress' recent instrusions into private associations' internal business should give the average American pause. Exactly how far is the Federal government authorized to go?

Justin's constructive criticism of the Republicans clearly expresses this concern all of us should have. He's addressing the Republican party's evident violation of subsidiarity. The irony of the Republicans doing this is that they had prided themselves on being the party of small government and federalism. They certainly can't be accused of that today.

We Fools know how important the support of human dignity and the right to life is. No serious Fool would question those principles. However, a right-ordered society is essential to implementing functional policy. This includes policies that safeguard human dignity and the right to life! If we Fools do not start demanding that the party in power honor its commitment to small government and federalism, then they'll continue to usurp more and more authority from communities of lower order. This totalitarianistic behavior will make the struggle to secure human dignity and the RTL exponentially more difficult. Especially if the other party gets back in power!

Justin is certainly right that we should not have to choose between a social values or a small government GOP. However, they'll only start incorporating both principles into their policy-making if their supporters hold their feet to the fire. We're the ones that must demand both from the GOP. If we don't, we had better not moan when they won't do it.