The Big, Small, and Intrusive Government of The GOP
How Promises of Small Government Mask a Bigger, More Intrusive State
While making campaign calls last week, I got into a fun discussion with a gentleman who insisted that I needed to switch parties because, he said, “the big-government Democrats want socialism and Marxism, and they’re all a bunch of communists.”
It’s a story we’ve all heard before. We’re often told it’s a battle between big-government Democrats and small-government Republicans. But if you scratch the surface, you’ll find a different story—a story of power, priorities, and who gets to wield the government’s might.
When it comes to individual rights and limited government, establishment Republicans love to trot out their favorite Reagan quotes. “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” A noble sentiment, right? But here’s the kicker—they’re more than happy to run our lives when it suits their agenda. They’ll champion “individual rights” while simultaneously dictating what women can do with their bodies, what books our children can read, and who we can love. They’re for individual rights, except when they’re not.
Fiscally, they are seasonal small-government politicians. During Democrat-in-the-White-House season, they are very concerned about the debt and the deficit. When there’s a Republican in the Oval Office, those concerns evaporate or are paid minor lip service.
Establishment Republicans will pontificate about the dangers of government spending until they’re blue in the face, but their actions tell a different story. In 2017, Mitch McConnell said that the tax bill under consideration in the Senate would be, at worst, revenue neutral. The Congressional Budget Office predicted that it would explode the deficit. We all know now who was right.
Giving giant corporations and the wealthiest Americans a big tax break was never going to spur capital investment when stock buybacks and shareholder dividends were available options. When the deficit exploded as predicted, they said, “But look at your 401K.” When the rest of us hear those words, we know it’s time to put our hands over our wallets.
During Republican-in-the-White-House season they’ll also funnel subsidies to giant corporations, but when it comes to funding healthcare, education, or social security? Suddenly, the purse strings are tighter than a drum. They’re for fiscal responsibility, except when they’re not.
Ronald Reagan also said, “Man is not free unless government is limited.” A profound idea, but one that establishment Republicans have twisted into a paradox. They’ll cry for limited government while expanding it to suit their needs, whether it’s increasing defense budgets or imposing restrictive regulations on personal freedoms. They’ll decry “big government” in public, while privately making deals that entrench their power and the power of their corporate allies. They’re for limited government, except when they’re not.
It’s easy to campaign on ideas like “freedom,” “individual rights,” and “small government,” but it’s a lot harder to actualize those goals in good faith. The challenge lies in the fact that the concept of limited government doesn’t align with our current reality. The relationship isn’t simply between the government and the individual anymore—it’s a triangle involving corporate power as well.
The corporate vertex of the triangle is deemed too big to fail, while the acute angle the rest of us live in is too small to matter. In our modern context, the government must answer to the people through voting, but Corporate America never has to.
Establishment Republicans would have you believe that Democrats are Marxists, Socialists, or Leninists. What they’re really trying to do is equate Democrats with an authoritarian strong-man autocracy, a notion that no true patriot would support. I’m not a Democrat-NPLer because of Lenin or Marx; I just want to ensure that whatever power the government does have serves the people, not just the privileged few.
The reality is it’s not about big or small government. It’s about who controls the government and for whose benefit. Under our current leadership, government power is wielded selectively to protect corporate interests, impose moral dictates, and punish the vulnerable. They decry regulations that protect our producers and consumers, yet they have no qualms about regulations that control women’s bodies or disenfranchise voters.
If you’re tired of this hypocrisy, if you believe in a government that works for everyone, not just the wealthy or the well-connected, join me. Support a vision of government that prioritizes the middle class, that invests in our infrastructure, that protects social security, and that truly respects personal freedom.
Together, we can build a government that’s not just big or small, but fair, just, and truly representative of the people it serves. If you're able, donate to my campaign, because the fight for a government that serves us all is a marathon, not a sprint.
In the end, it’s about power—who wields it and for whom. Let’s make sure it’s wielded for all of us.
With the U.S. House seat left open by Representative Kelly Armstrong’s decision to run for governor, the race for North Dakota’s sole congressional district has never been more competitive.
Trygve Hammer is a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, a former public school teacher, and a freight rail conductor. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from the fleet and served as a Marine helicopter pilot, forward air controller, and infantry officer.
From bunking down in oilfield camps to engaging uninterested teenagers in the classroom, Trygve’s career has been a tour of duty in the trenches of American life. Trygve’s commitment to public service is unwavering. He lives by the ethos “Officers Eat Last” and is ready to serve as North Dakota’s next Congressman, putting the people's needs first.
Watch Trygve’s campaign launch video here.
Your writing is CLEAR and Superb! I will post a link on FB in hopes others will take the time to HAVE THEIR EYES OPENED!
I live in MD but still support you because of WHAT YOU STAND FOR! All the Best!
Believe all you have to say and know my Republican family are turning over in graves. However I can't vote for you so will not subscribe or donate as have to support candidates here in NH where the Republican ideologues have gained ground. Good luck on representing your people.