Shotgun Solutions: Republicans and Minorities
The GOP’s Dire Task for Survival
The demographics of the United States are ever-changing, and research shows a trend toward diversity. Congress has followed the general population in its steady decline of white members since the 1980s. America is changing and becoming a more ethnically and racially diverse place.
While Democrats have capitalized on getting out the vote among racial and ethnic minorities, the Republican Party has fallen woefully short. Among white voters, the Republican Party has consistently held the top spot with a small margin over the Democratic party in terms of party affiliation. However, among Hispanic voters, 43% identify as Democrat and 14% as Republican. With black voters, 67% identify as Democrat while a measly 3% identify as Republican. Even among Asian voters, the margin between Democratic and Republican identification is 32 percentage points.
The odds seem to be stacked against Republicans when it comes to winning elections in a society pushed towards more racial and ethnic diversity. However, this does not have to be the fate of the GOP. Championing the American Idea since its inception, the Republican Party has proven its dedication to bringing freedom to all. Where the party has fallen short lies in how they present their case to minorities. It is time the GOP fights for the American Idea, spreading the message of freedom for all, equal opportunity, and a small government that empowers individuals to succeed.
The Republican Party faces two major issues in spurring minorities to vote in favor of their principles and representatives. First, in how they campaign, and second, in how they express the American Idea. When it comes to campaigning, candidates can easily remedy the issue. Prominent Republican leaders such as Paul Ryan and Jack Kemp went to places they had “no business” being in, places from which Republicans usually shy away because Democrats have dominated the area for years.
But what all of these fearless GOP leaders have found in visiting inner cities and predominantly minority areas is what issues resonate with these voters. And visiting these places encourages individuals to participate in the discussion, expelling the belief that the government or Republican candidates do not care about their voices.
Like many things in life, the best way to solve a problem is to get to the bottom of it and listen to all sides of the debate. The more diligently Republicans pursue minority groups, the more chances they have to exchange ideas and listen to the ills plaguing minorities. Not to mention, continued visits will foster relationships with constituents, making it easier to tell of the success of the American Idea.
Additionally, the GOP must make clear their platform and policy ideas. It is not enough to merely brush over policy initiatives and stick to broad talking points of Republican principles. Candidates must detail exactly what policy issues they will reform and how it will benefit minorities. There are five key policy issues Republicans can emphasize: immigration, education, welfare, criminal justice, and taxation.
The first policy issue Republicans need to discuss is immigration. The current program is broken and does little to ensure that people immigrate into the U.S. legally. While there are significant issues with undocumented immigrants entering the country along the border, most of our immigration problems come from overstayed visas. Real change can come from common sense reform like enforcing visas. This will take a strain off the economy in the form of more jobs for citizens and legal immigrants and more funds from entitlements for those who have paid into it.
The GOP can also make convincing arguments with education reform. Many minorities have qualms about the education system because funding for schools comes from property taxes. So, when wealthier Americans leave failing inner cities like Detroit to find better opportunities elsewhere, it perpetuates the problems of the education system. Some minorities cannot escape poverty in part because their schools are not successful at educating the next generation.
Rather than throw more money into schools by raising property taxes, a school voucher program could give minorities the opportunity to receive a better education without having to sacrifice massive amounts of money to move out of failing districts. Such a program would encourage competition in schools and garner more money in the form of more students attending their school. The next generation of students would be better educated, pursue higher paying jobs, and attain the skills they need to help their communities prosper.
Third, Republican candidates should note plans to reform the welfare system. Social Security is unable to provide for those retiring thanks to poor planning by Congress to spend now and worry about the consequences later. By 2034, Social Security will run out of funds. Medicare is scheduled to run out of hospitalization funds as early as 2026.
The solution is to privatize these systems. When it comes to Social Security, free market principles show that investing income in the stock market helps the economy and provides for substantial savings for retirement. Also, promising individuals that their accounts are their own personal property for them to invest in and engage with will add security to the current workforce.
When it comes to Medicare, the government should transition the program to look more like the successful Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. This system would allow individuals to receive the healthcare they need and reduce insurance barrios. The more autonomy individuals have over their money in entitlement programs, the better able they are to make decisions that benefit them and society.
The fourth policy initiative to detail is criminal justice reform. A good read from CRIT-LARGE on more solutions to our prison woes, here. Much like government programs mentioned before, the criminal system does more damage than good. To alleviate some of its malfunctions, Republicans can offer two areas of reform. First, appointing and confirming judges to federal courts. The appellate courts currently have 9 vacancies and the district courts have 129 vacancies. This has left a massive burden on the system with cases backlogged, for years in some districts. In promising to quickly confirm qualified individuals to the courts, the judicial system will be able to work as it was intended.
Second, the government should decrease its involvement in rehabilitation services. This may seem counterintuitive, but private-sector rehabilitation centers such as Pastor Jubal Garcia’s Outcry in the Barrio in San Antonio, Texas, and Shirley Holloway’s House of Help in the District of Columbia have proven wildly successful. Struggling addicts and homeless need more than a warm bed for the night; they need a community committed to reintroducing individuals to society, something these places have shown they can do much better than the government. Both of these policy initiatives will start the process of a better functioning system for minorities, and for everyone, as it focuses on empowering communities over government intervention.
Lastly, Republican candidates must expound on their taxation policy. The GOP is the party of low taxes so that people can do what they wish with their hard-earned savings. While much improved from the 2017 tax reform, our current tax structure is flawed. Candidates simply saying “we want to lower taxes” is not enough to persuade minorities to vote for them. Republicans must detail a restructured tax system that is simpler and reduces tax rates.
A promising plan is to create two tax brackets that divide individuals into lower earners and higher earners. A basic tax rate for each group with simpler rules and less loopholes would not only save Americans time, it would also save them money as mistakes would be avoidable and the help of tax professionals unnecessary in filing tax returns. Also, by reducing the corporate tax rate, minorities would be encouraged to start their own business and positively affect their community.
While all of these policy initiatives can bring change to minority communities, they do nothing if politicians refuse to reach out and listen. As the minority population continues to grow, Republicans must be willing to reach all their constituents, no matter the political status quo of a community. Minority groups are the key to the future of America. Taking time to explain the specifics of policy reforms, the GOP can successfully bring in votes for the promotion of the American Idea.