Forget Trump vs. DeSantis. This is the battle that will shape conservatism’s future | Opinion
Once upon a time, conservatives generally agreed that the less government does to shape society, the better.
The right has always had passionate internal disagreements, but limited government was a rallying point. Now, it’s a fault line, as a large share of conservatives cheer the use of state power to achieve their desired ends, especially on cultural issues.
Some want states or the federal government to regulate social media companies to prevent viewpoint discrimination. Many cheered Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new law removing governing privileges for Disney, a punishment for the entertainment giant’s stance on the state’s restrictions on classroom discussions of sexuality. In Texas and elsewhere, the might of state pension funds are being used to discourage investment firms from avoiding the oil and gas industry.
These fights could frame the Republican Party’s future every bit as much as the brewing personal brawl between DeSantis and Donald Trump. They’ll duke it out for the 2024 presidential nomination, arguing over who’s the more effective vessel for populist resentment. But in the meantime, the larger conservative movement has to decide what it’s trying to conserve.
Traditionally, it’s been the principles of the American founding, limited government and free enterprise. But increasingly, some conservatives prioritize the protection of traditional values. They see so much danger from leftist identity politics and cultural decay that it’s time for the state to take a stronger hand.
Of course, there’s plenty of evidence that the commitment to free-market economics only went so far for elected Republicans. Henry Olsen, a Washington Post columnist who’s one of the smartest observers of conservative politics, has argued that conservative hero Ronald Reagan was never the small-government warrior many believed. As president, George W. Bush bailed out banks and put tariffs on foreign steel. Politics often trumps principles.
Increasing concern about China’s role on the world stage is a factor, too. There is bipartisan recognition that it’s not smart so many of our vital products come from there. The supply chain disruptions of the pandemic drove the message home, to the point that a significant number of Republicans voted for a bill to build up domestic manufacturing of microchips, which are vital to so many other industries.
The bill immediately made clear the peril of such government intervention. The Biden administration is using the federal investment in chip companies to engineer desired social goals, according to The New York Times. Those signing up must agree to provide generous child-care benefits for workers, share profits with the government and limit stock buybacks.
Does any of that make for a more robust domestic microchip industry? Well, that’s not really the goal, is it? Democrats don’t struggle much with questions of whether state action is constitutional or if government’s role in society is appropriate. They start with the desired policy outcome — say, a huge giveaway to Democratic voters in the form of wiping out student-loan debt. Then, they figure out how the president can achieve that outcome, all by himself if necessary. They almost always determine that he can, even as they warn every Republican is a dangerous “authoritarian.”
Republicans who signed on to the measure don’t appear to have anticipated any of that or tried to stop it. And some are probably thinking ahead to a moment when their own industrial policy can carry their goals. Picture a law that dangles billions in front of corporations but insists they curtail their diversity and inclusion efforts.
Where does all this go? Will we end up with two parties eager for government to tinker with the levers of business and society? Or will the populist movement flame out or turn its attention elsewhere?
Many debates on the right never fully resolve themselves. Don’t expect this one to do so any time soon, either.
This story was originally published March 11, 2023 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Forget Trump vs. DeSantis. This is the battle that will shape conservatism’s future | Opinion."
