13 Republican Beliefs
Republican beliefs that help shape the foundation of the Republican Party:
- The primary role of the Federal Government is to protect America from foreign attacks, foreign invasion and terrorist attacks. If we don’t maintain a highly effective military, who will protect us? Who will stop the next Hitler from taking over the world or stop some psychotic tyrant from starting a nuclear war? This should be our Federal government’s highest priority at all times.
- The second most important role of the Federal Government is to protect our economic interests both domestically and globally.
- Republicans believe that in almost every case, the private sector is far more efficient at providing services to American citizens than a government agency is. This is one reason why republicans constantly push for privatization. It is common sense. Competition among companies has a deflationary effect on prices. Government agencies do not compete for services. Therefore, there is always substantially more waste and a higher cost in government produced services when compared to the private sector.
Also, there is the crowding out effect on capital. The money that funds these government programs and agencies comes from the private sector. A large percentage of that money would have otherwise been invested in private industry through banks, stocks, bonds, venture capital, etc…. This additional investment in the private sector that would exist without the government withdrawal, causes downward pressure on interest rates. The slightly lower interest rates make it a little less costly for companies and citizens to borrow money. Because many projects cost a little bit less, there is a respective increase in economic activity which benefits everyone.
- Government regulation should be minimized wherever possible. Excessive government regulation creates disincentives to conduct business in the United States. It gives international companies a reason to not operate in the United States. Regulation costs companies money which gets passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices. Higher prices = inflation. America should encourage businesses to keep and even move their operations here instead of making it increasingly detrimental for companies to do so.
- Profits are a good thing. Companies should seek to maximize profits so long as they are treating their employees and customers reasonably and they are operating within the bounds of the laws governing their industry. This is a basic principle of capitalism. Profits are good for everyone. Every American citizen should be encouraged to buy stock in American companies so they too can share in the wealth of the nation. Citizens should be buying more stock in highly profitable companies to share in their wealth instead of publicly scolding them for making the huge profits that the companies were intended to from day one.
- It is not the Federal Government’s place to tell any citizen of the United States that she earns too much money. This is supposed to be the land of opportunity. One of those opportunities is the right to become wealthy. We should applaud those people who have achieved financial success so long as it was done legally. We should help pass this knowledge along to the less fortunate people in America. They too have the same opportunity to achieve massive wealth.
- Government policy should be formed after studying the lessons of history. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Let us not forget about the greatest failures in humanity like the holocaust.
- Trade with other allied nations is very good for Americans. If we can buy an equal quality product from one of our allies for half the price, that’s a good thing. The money we saved on that product will be invested in our companies who will then produce more of the things we are best at making. In turn, we sell those products to our allies cheaper than they could produce those things themselves. We should be focusing on creating high skill jobs in this country instead of placing trade barriers in order to keep low paying, low skilled jobs.
- We should create new policies with a very long term time horizon. The best path to prosperity is one that takes the long term perspective. Our Federal Government is simply incapable of acting quickly enough to properly manage the month to month fluctuations in our economy. Let business cycles ebb and flow as they may so long as the general trend is in the right direction. we should focus on long term growth, future standards of living and long term prosperity.
- Corporate taxation is an inefficient way to collect taxes. When taxes are imposed on companies, companies pass those costs on to the consumer in the form of higher prices. Higher prices on goods and services are bad for everyone.
- Republicans believe that long term welfare should be given only to those people who are incapable of working for a living. Any American who is capable of working a regular job should be expected to do so. There is no shame in working for a living regardless of the type of job you have. Working at one job regardless of your title is just as respectable as any other job that provides an income for you. Republicans are willing to help people who are willing to help themselves and those people who are incapable of helping themselves. Republicans refuse to help people who are too lazy to help themselves.
- Republicans believe that jobs are the central foundation for building a thriving civilization. Communities with good jobs have lower crime rates. Good jobs allow people to provide decent standards of living for their families. Jobs help give meaning to people’s lives. Jobs allow people to get educated. The American dream is unachievable without getting a good job or creating one for yourself.
- Entrepreneurs are the engine of a strong economy. Entrepreneurs are the people who create the best jobs. Entrepreneurs invent new industries. The businesses created by American entrepreneurs make our entire country more productive, more efficient and wealthy. Government should reward and promote entrepreneurship instead of punishing it. For every business government destroys, there is at least one more person who is going to depend on someone else or government itself to be able to make a living.
- Personal responsibility – Since the birth of this great nation, one of the founding principles that made this country great was that its people were self reliant. Republicans still believe in this principle. Citizens should take responsibility for their own actions. Parents should take responsibility for their own children. We cannot and should not hold government responsible for performing every duty that is not convenient to perform ourselves. The only time government should really be involved is when we believe they can be more efficient at doing it or the situation prohibits us from doing it ourselves.
