Coming to grips with Trump

"… the principle of subsidiarity must be respected: a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to coordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good.

By intervening directly and depriving society of its responsibility, The Social Assistance State leads to a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies, which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients, and which are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending."

As they prepare to reduce the influence, scope and spending of the Washington bureaucracy, one can imagine Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy nodding in agreement with the Pope's prescient remarks.

By freeing ourselves from the government controls that constrain us and giving our citizens the autonomy to make decisions themselves, we can release the energy that will deliver an era of prosperity and liberty and create a moral society.

Coming to grips with Trump

Trump's ambitious reforms aim to change the political landscape significantly. Major changes can be expected to include:

1. Devolution of power

Power will revert to the elected President and Congress.

The federal bureaucracy will be scaled back. Some departments may be abolished, and others will be reduced to their Congress approved roles. Many responsibilities currently handled by the federal government will be transferred to the states.

Where feasible, decision-making will be devolved to lower levels-states, communities, families, and individuals. Abortion laws will remain determined at the state level. Parents will gain more influence over their children's education, particularly concerning curriculum and values. Overall, decisions will be made rationally and locally, not ideologically and remotely.

International bodies will have less influence. The U.S. will resist rules and regulations that infringe on its sovereignty. It will withdraw from the Paris Agreement and may reduce its support for the United Nations and its agencies. The influence of other supranational bodies may also decline.

Military power will be strengthened, not for aggression but as a deterrent. The U.S. will eschew involvement in wars, particularly other people's wars. Provision of military aid to friendly nations will be by way of trade, not benevolence. Allies will be expected to pay their own way.

2. Economic reform

There will be reduced government intervention and regulation. Crony capitalism will be curbed, with fewer benefits going to elite friends of government. Regulatory agencies will no longer be funded by, and under the thrall of, the industries they are supposed to regulate.

Taxes will be lowered, putting more resources in the hands of individuals, families, and successful businesses.