The Republican party was never about smaller government.
You are a fool if you believe that.
this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2026
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Of course they are for a smaller government, just not in the way you think.
Smaller role in regulations and taxing. Reduced federal government size. Elimination of welfare.
Bigger role in defense and social control. These are excluded in the mind of Republicans so they don't count.
Yup.
Every time in my life I've seen conservatives gain power, they've attempted to assert more control over others.
It was never about small government. It was about exploitation and conteol.
They never were. They're the party of corporate interests. When corporations wanted no regulation they championed small government. Now that they own all branches of government the corporations have their people at the helm so they want as much government control as possible because their guy will put it in good for them.
Don't forget, we have not 1 but 2 corporate interest parties.
Very true, but they do serve different purposes.
The Ratchet Effect
I couldn't have said it better.
They want to eliminate competition. The core principle of capitalism is competition. Without competition usa is no longer a capitalist country. it is now a monarchy like 17th century england, where a business had to buy a royal charter to be able to operate. Royal Charters granted a monopoly. Welcome to the usa. A country of monopolies.
No, just like it did in Nazi Germany, capitalism has produced fascism when threatened. The threat isn't even all that different than it was then, instead of just unions you have the addition of a new industry trying to disrupt ancient oil bloodlines. Capitalism will always produce fascism once power is concentrated enough in the hands of the owning class. It served its purpose and now it has become a burden on humanity.
It was always 'small government for thee, big government for me'. There was never a moment when the republican party was unified in being small government for everyone. It was always 'small government' when regulation was bad for them, or they were in favor of government intervention when they needed a bail-out or some regulations passed to help them capture upstart market
When Republicans didn't have the majority they believed in "small govt state rights" so they could do whatever they want in their red bubbles. Now that they hold all the cards, their pro government so they can force their ways in blue bubbles. Not the best way of articulating my point but that's my thoughts on when they switched. Next time we have a blue majority, they will be pro small govt and anti fed again. Always been this way pretty much on both sides of the aisle.
Party > Country
Bigotry > Conservative "Values"
Propaganda > Facts
They never were, you just fell for their propaganda.
Republicans have done nothing but cyclically crash the economy for my entire life.
let's not be too negative. they have also made themselves and their donors orders of magnitude wealthier by doing so.
"Party of small government" was always marketing rather than reality.
Same thing goes for conservatives claiming they're 'good economic managers', when they most assuredly are not.
Because it was all bullshit.
Republicans only want small government when the government is stopping white collar crime.
Republicans are only fiscally conservative when they are not in the white-house.
It was ALWAYS just virtue-signalling. All of it. They were never the party of small government, they just like to say they are and they even had you fooled.
It was a tagline. It never meant anything, as evidenced by the rejection of every possible explanation or implementation.
It was a lie. They're for whatever they're currently in control of.
Money. "Small government" was code for "tax corporations less". Everything the current RNC does is code for "Transfer as much money as possible from the government and poor people to rich people".
The Republican Party used to be very big on smaller government
Really? When? Because all I ever heard was empty rhetoric when they weren't in power.
They also claimed to be for small business. But their concept of small business was inheritance class, angel investors, tech start ups and using family money as a launch vehicle. They don't consider entrepreneurs, career professionals or family run brick and mortar operations within their equations when they say "we need to help small business". Right wingers concerns stop at ensuring tax cuts for ownership, inheritance and wealth, not for incentivising business risk taking, producitivity and market excellence.
That was always a lie, just like the rest of their platform. You're just becoming aware of the reality, now.
They used to claim they were very big on smaller government. This is what is commonly known as a lie.
They have always been fascists, authoritarians. Nothing they say or have ever said is to be taken as in good faith. They've always changed "the rules" to suit their policies, and the democrats pretend that they have to play by "the rules" no matter if they've been engineered to castrate them. Government is theatre intended to distract us from realizing that we are all in this together. Everything is a distraction. Celebrity idolatry, television and movies, sports, it's all designed to keep our minds busy and occupied so that we don't recognize that the systems of control of our society can be changed.
“Small government” only ever meant corporate deregulation—in all other respects they were already above the law.
Their goal (as is that of many politicians, CEOs, etc.) is to structure power, using whatever they can to make that happen. They then do whatever they need to to keep and expand that power, changing issues when the previous has run its course (either by being 'solved' or so clear they don't care that they must pick another).
Corruption and Nixon/Reagan.
If you find a chart of their public debt, look what how it did for each president. Apparently, you will be surprised.
It was always a lie. What they mean to say is that they won't pass laws that create taxes or put in place systems that protect people from capitalists. That's it. Other than that, they are happy to put all the money into war and the police.
They were always "Small government" for regulating corporations and helping people and "Big government" for helping oil companies, weaponizing police, supporting Israel, and helping whichever corporations pay them the most.
When they dropped the fascade
façade
They apparently only want small government for Democrats and Democrat policies. Or it's a campaign lie, like being a "fiscal conservative."
Greed, grift and a chance for these geriatric fucks to relive their childhood by playing "follow the leader".
Hypocrites & liars. Simple fact.
They were never for small government.
Their idea of small government is a government that only has republicans in it.
It was a minority that got some power over marketing. They have always voted small government when Democrats have the president office, and even more strongly when the Democrats also have congress. As soon as they get enough power to do anything they are big government.
Though I will grant slightly less big government than Democrats in the past. It isn't clear now.
It's the usual "there must be in groups for the law to protect but not bind, and out groups for the law to bind but not protect" thing as always.
They wanted small government when it suited their desires. Their desires, as conservatives, are usually bad. Pollution, exploration, segregation, etc.
The short answer is always but the more correct answer is the right was never really after small government, because that means less control, but Reagan was the first to really embolden them.
It's like them championing state's rights. Or free market. They're all about the slogans if they get the votes, until they aren't.