Pew: More Americans now prefer a bigger government with more services to a smaller one with fewer services

[musiclady]

Actually, it pretty much reinforced it. Republicans chose a big government politician promising more centralized power on the issues they want and to use the hammer of the government to enforce their desires.

Exactly.  The nomination/election of Trump proves that neither party wants small government conservatism any more.

Poll, or no poll, 2016 proved this point in spades.  Everybody wants government big and bossy in both major parties.

[XenaLee]

Actually, it pretty much reinforced it. Republicans chose a big government politician promising more centralized power on the issues they want and to use the hammer of the government to enforce their desires.

Not really.  I see it more as Americans chose the lesser of two "pro-big-government" evils.  As the obvious bigger evil, Hillary lost.  That equates to Americans NOT wanting the "government is god" BS she was selling.  That Trump is (or was) also pro-big-government will probably become more obvious as his term progresses (pun intended).

[XenaLee]

Lost to a big-government Republican like Trump.

Small-government types had no candidate. Even the staunchly small-government, big-L Libertarians nominated a mid-sized-government liberal.

I'm not arguing that Trump is not pro-big-government.  I'm arguing that MOST Americans voted against the concept of big government when they voted against Hillary (by voting for Trump).  That's all.  I posit that many (if not most) of the voters that voted for Trump had (and still have) no idea just how pro-big-government he has been.

[musiclady]

Not really.  I see it more as Americans chose the lesser of two "pro-big-government" evils.  As the obvious bigger evil, Hillary lost.  That equates to Americans NOT wanting the "government is god" BS she was selling.  That Trump is (or was) also pro-big-government will probably become more obvious as his term progresses (pun intended).

Anyone who did his or her homework knew that Trump wanted to accomplish his goals through government overreach.

Many Republicans wanted 'our' big government tough guy rather than theirs.

That's why Trump won the nomination.  Hillary's awful campaign (not her ideology) is why she lost to him in November.

JMHO.

[Bigun]

Anyone who did his or her homework knew that Trump wanted to accomplish his goals through government overreach.

Many Republicans wanted 'our' big government tough guy rather than theirs.

That's why Trump won the nomination.  Hillary's awful campaign (not her ideology) is why she lost to him in November.

JMHO.

There are many millions of small government conservatives around waiting for a national leader to come forth.

[XenaLee]

Anyone who did his or her homework knew that Trump wanted to accomplish his goals through government overreach.

Many Republicans wanted 'our' big government tough guy rather than theirs.

That's why Trump won the nomination.  Hillary's awful campaign (not her ideology) is why she lost to him in November.

JMHO.

That's the problem.  Most voters never do 'their homework'.  Not everyone is like us.  We do our research on every candidate.  If every voter did that, we wouldn't have half the problems we're having.  Just sayin....

[thackney]

All that is being taken way. For every problem, the solution, the 'job' will be done by robots and AI. It will eventually require 1% of the existing workforce to run it all.

I am amazed that this concept has any legs with educated people.  Go back just 50 years.  From the information of the time, try to predict how 50% of the labor and products of today would be met.

To believe we will not continue to move forward, create new demands, is silly with thousands of years of history showing that concept is wrong.

[Bigun]

I am amazed that this concept has any legs with educated people.  Go back just 50 years.  From the information of the time, try to predict how 50% of the labor and products of today would be met.

To believe we will not continue to move forward, create new demands, is silly with thousands of years of history showing that concept is wrong.

If that view had any merit we would still be splitting rails with axes and wedges, Spinning thread and weaving cloth by hand ...

[Free Vulcan]

I am amazed that this concept has any legs with educated people.  Go back just 50 years.  From the information of the time, try to predict how 50% of the labor and products of today would be met.

To believe we will not continue to move forward, create new demands, is silly with thousands of years of history showing that concept is wrong.

Because in the last 100 years all we have done is shift industries. First it was ag and natural resources, then manufacturing, and now service (including things like programming and related tech). We have never truly injected automation into the equation to this degree.

The question is with automation to what industry do we shift from here? We're not just talking about robots making stuff, we're talking about robots transporting the stuff, extracting the stuff, designing, making and fixing the robots, and AI's making the bulk of decisions. That leaves just a few brainiacs left to monitor everything and owners to reap the profits, theoretically.

[catfish1957]

Coming to a Society Near You.......

[musiclady]

That's the problem.  Most voters never do 'their homework'.  Not everyone is like us.  We do our research on every candidate.  If every voter did that, we wouldn't have half the problems we're having.  Just sayin....

If every voter were like you and me, Xena, the world would be a pretty special place, wouldn't it?   

[XenaLee]

If every voter were like you and me, Xena, the world would be a pretty special place, wouldn't it?   

Well.....I wouldn't go that far....lololol!

But it would help (a lot) if every voter put some effort into researching who and what, exactly, they were voting for. 

Rush is talking about this bogus/BS poll right now. 

[thackney]

The question is with automation to what industry do we shift from here? We're not just talking about robots making stuff, we're talking about robots transporting the stuff, extracting the stuff, designing, making and fixing the robots, and AI's making the bulk of decisions. That leaves just a few brainiacs left to monitor everything and owners to reap the profits, theoretically.

I believe we have only begun to see the "information age".  We are not in the midst of it, but in its infancy.

[catfish1957]

I believe we have only begun to see the "information age".  We are not in the midst of it, but in its infancy.

An economy built on information?  Let's see how far that gets us.

[Bigun]

An economy built on information?  Let's see how far that gets us.

Every economy is built on information!  Every single one!

[ABX]

Every economy is built on information!  Every single one!

This guy gets it.

[Jazzhead]

The poll question clearly shows that more folks than ever before are comfortable with a modern entitlement state a la the European model.   But at the same time, more folks want government out of their personal lives.   In short,  we seem to prefer libertarianism to social conservatism,  and welfare statism to social Darwinism.  It is, it appears, a new paradigm that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats quite fit.   

[ABX]

The poll question clearly shows that more folks than ever before are comfortable with a modern entitlement state a la the European model.   But at the same time, more folks want government out of their personal lives......   

...People often say they want government out of their personal lives, but they would love the government to control the personal lives of others. It is one of those, free me from the government but use it to enforce what I want on everyone else attitude.

[INVAR]

I've been warning this for a while. Even Conservatives who used to claim to be for limited government are wanting more and more a centralized, powerful government that uses the hammer of authority for their own pet issues. They are becoming very similar to liberals in terms of using he hammer of the government, just with different issues.

I know a LOT of Republicans/Conservatives who now are openly FOR a big central government, because they are Party Loyalists first and foremost and if their leadership is for a powerful oligarchy of Central Planners, so are they.

Tipping point reached some time ago.  Limited government is now something that they do not want to hear because they have bought the lie that it is the job of the collective to make sure everyone is provided for.

[truth_seeker]

The poll question clearly shows that more folks than ever before are comfortable with a modern entitlement state a la the European model.   But at the same time, more folks want government out of their personal lives.   In short,  we seem to prefer libertarianism to social conservatism,  and welfare statism to social Darwinism.  It is, it appears, a new paradigm that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats quite fit.   

In the medium term, any assessment of results will depend upon whether the savages are burning the cars yet, in YOUR neighborhood.

Sweden, France, Berkeley. Suburban mall fights. McDonald's brawls. Assassinating police.

Globally automation creates more and more idle people.

In America the low skilled, low IQ types once HAD TO work to survive. To eat, to keep out of the elements.

Today they riot, get free food and housing. And told they are entitled to free college, even though they cannot do high school work.

[mirraflake]

The poll question clearly shows that more folks than ever before are comfortable with a modern entitlement state a la the European model.   But at the same time, more folks want government out of their personal lives.   In short,  we seem to prefer libertarianism to social conservatism,  and welfare statism to social Darwinism.  It is, it appears, a new paradigm that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats quite fit.   

Well said. Country is becoming more libertarian all the time and social conservatism is dying.  That Milo has a huge conservative base, even on TOS(FR) is telling.

@Jazzhead

[Sanguine]

I blame the GOP for not presenting a clear and compelling vision for small government.  In fact, it's almost like they like big government.   

[jmyrlefuller]

I am amazed that this concept has any legs with educated people.  Go back just 50 years.  From the information of the time, try to predict how 50% of the labor and products of today would be met.

To believe we will not continue to move forward, create new demands, is silly with thousands of years of history showing that concept is wrong.

Create new demands? The human body only has a few basic needs: to be fed, hydrated and kept at a livable temperature (clothing and shelter), and if something goes wrong, medical treatment. It's not like our bodies are ever going to need more than that.

Everything else is either non-scarce (information) or superfluous and unnecessary. Almost all of the growth in the economy lately has come from spending on items society expects us to have, not what we need. Man can live without a smartphone.

[thackney]

Create new demands? The human body only has a few basic needs: to be fed, hydrated and kept at a livable temperature (clothing and shelter), and if something goes wrong, medical treatment. It's not like our bodies are ever going to need more than that.

Everything else is either non-scarce (information) or superfluous and unnecessary. Almost all of the growth in the economy lately has come from spending on items society expects us to have, not what we need. Man can live without a smartphone.

What percentage of your income do spend beyond true needs? 

How small of a shelter, do you really need?

How little transportation, do you really need?

Why do you spend any dollars on entertainment?

The economy is not close to being limited to basic survival.'

Look at where you personally choose to spend your dollars today, and compare that to 50 years ago.  Tell me 50 years from now the changes are not going to be as dramatic?

[corbe]

The GOP is officially the party of big government now
 

Ronald Reagan would likely believe that the Republican Party is leaving him just as the Democratic Party once did. A new Pew poll shows a majority of Republicans now believe the country needs to spend MORE on government programs.

HotAir’s Allahpundit points out the depth and speed of this change:

In 2013, just 28 percent of GOPers supported increased spending on roads and infrastructure versus 21 percent who wanted less spending on those things. Today the share of Republicans who support increased spending has nearly doubled to 55 percent, just six points behind Democrats. Leadership matters.

As Ben Shapiro noted on DailyWire, there’s been only one big change that could prompt GOP sentiment to veer so far to the left:

What happened?

Trump.

This doesn’t mean that Trump’s to blame, as Shapiro later notes. Voters haven’t been blindsided by brand new plans to increase infrastructure spending or engorge the government in other ways. They knew going in that he has been and always will be a left-leaning big government spend-heavy politician who has bought into the idea that the GOP has to spend big in DC to win votes. He’s sold that idea to Republican leadership who have felt the same way since Reagan, but didn’t have a champion to sell it to the voters the way they do now.

Trump, despite his promises to cut regulations and fight waste, fraud, and abuse, campaigned as a big government anti-immigration protectionist. He vowed to increase spending in every area but foreign aid and environmental protection. His most ardent followers knew that he was promising them the help of big government, and they embraced it. Trump spent the campaign guaranteeing that he wouldn’t touch the great drivers of America’s debt, entitlement programs – in fact, he said he wanted to expand them.

There’s an important silver lining to all this. We’ve known for a while that opinions are fickle in modern society. We saw this with President Obama as he quickly shifted sentiment on gay marriage; polls showed around 65/35 against before he took office and reversed by the middle of his second term. Now, we’re seeing it with President Trump on spending and big government.

This tells us that we have our work cut out for us, but it also tells us there’s hope. As we expand our reach and educate the people on the huge consequences of big government and big spending, we can initiate and sustain real change. Today’s technology allows us to get that message out quickly. As we grow as a party, we will be reaching out directly to the people with conferences, media expansion, and sponsoring public speakers who can help guide the nation back to the small-government mentality the founders envisioned. It’s the same “new Federalism” that Reagan championed.

The people need to be reminded that government is not the solution but the root of the majority of our problems as a nation. Government can’t fix things by doing more. It’s the people who can fix things when government gets out of the way. This is arguably the biggest reason for our existence. If the GOP won’t shrink the government and other third parties won’t do what it takes to win, it’s necessary for the Federalist Party to continue to rise.

http://thefederalistparty.org/2017/04/25/gop-officially-party-big-government-now/