The State of Our Union: Progress Vs. Change

This article was featured in The Bulletin (Philadelphia-area newspaper) on 1/31/10, and the Bucks County Courier Times on 2/14/10. You can read the online version here from The Bulletin, or catch the print column each week.

Just over a year ago, America witnessed the historic inauguration of its new leader. While only 53% of the country cast its vote for him, the vast majority saw promise in his fresh vision—his early approval ratings (70% positive – Gallup) made him nearly transcendent. It was clear most were willing to give his “Change” a chance.

A year later, the tide has turned.  President Obama’s approval rating stands at a paltry 47% (Gallup), and the number of Americans who strongly disapprove of his performance now outnumber those who strongly approve by a 15 point margin (Rasmussen). The country repudiated the Democratic agenda by overturning Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts in landmark elections since his inauguration, and support for his signature healthcare legislation is on life support.

In a telling moment, President Obama highlighted this dramatic shift in his recent State of the Union address: “I campaigned on the promise of change—change we can believe in, the slogan went. And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren’t sure if they still believe we can change—or at least, that I can deliver it.” He’s right.

America was ready to embrace change, and the President’s historically high approval rating was a signal of a frustrated citizenry. The country was ready to follow a bipartisan leader; it wanted healing from years of tired political battles. It wanted to put an end to part-time conservatism, where government cut taxes but spent wildly and grew institutional bureaucracy. It saw the coming wave of Recession, and asked for a government that fostered economic health. It wanted fiscal responsibility, to reverse the fastest eight-year deficit growth in U.S. history. It wanted a government that focused less on divisive social issues and more on practical reform. It was ready to follow, ready to change, ready to champion responsible, prudent governance—it desperately wanted an inspirational, unifying leader to guide the nation forward.

But change for change’s sake is not Progress. Progress, woven into the fabric of American prosperity, must be built on the right foundation. In America, that foundation was forged of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and individual liberty. At a time when the country was starving for a new leader to embrace these principles, to unify rather than divide, and to address the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, aggressive liberal policies advanced through hardball partisan tactics represented Change, but not Progress.

It appears President Obama and the Democratic leadership may be waking up to the consequences of the past year. Rhetoric following Scott Brown’s election, and highlighted in the President’s State of the Union address, suggest the party will pivot to focus on job creation and the economy. It will likely temper its agenda until the election cycle has passed, proposing moderate spending freezes and scaled back reforms. But until it offers the American people the right kind of change—progress—it will have lost them.

As we begin 2010 and examine the state of our Union, we must focus on a simple plan for success. First, government should not spend more than it has—leveraged debt creates long-term financial insecurity and mortgages our future. It’s time we get spending under control. To that end, Congress should implement a pay-as-you go system, where all spending increases must be met by commensurate cuts. The administration should return the hundreds of billions of unused stimulus dollars, cut government bureaucracy by at least 10%, and set a goal to reduce discretionary spending until the budget is balanced.

As government controls its costs, it can work to return money to taxpayers. The capital gains tax should be lowered to under 10% to help spur investment, income tax rates should be lowered and flattened across the board to encourage spending, and the double-taxation of corporations should be eliminated to make our businesses more competitive. Less government and unleashed capitalism will create jobs and grow the economy.

Practical reforms to healthcare should be enacted to help lower costs and thus increase access. Tort reform should be a must—caps on malpractice rewards would reduce unnecessary defensive medicine and shrink the cost for malpractice insurance, which in turn would have the dual effect of increasing the quality of doctors and reducing overall costs. The insurance industry should reflect a free market with transparent prices, portability, and open competition.

Given the complexity of our times, there is much more work to be done, this is just a starting point. But whatever the work, whatever the change, it must be Progress. Progress built on a foundation of fundamental Constitutional values, standing on the shoulders of what has always made us great. Because no matter the President or majority party, the state of our Union has always been the belief that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness did not happen by accident—they were a product of Progress, not wholesale Change.

-Matt Benchener is Founder of TruPolitics.net and Supervisor of Newtown Township.