Government intervention refers to government interference in the private sector and lives via regulation.
In the United States, the two major political parties hold fundamentally different views on the appropriate level of government intervention. Democrats are more open to government interference than Republicans are. While the Republican Party platform explicitly condemns ‘big government’, the Democratic platform calls on the federal government to promote equality where it sees the free market failing to do so. Polling indicates that 69% of Democratic voters are inclined to support a bigger government with more services, while 77% of Republican voters would prefer to have a smaller government with fewer services.
The Democratic Stance on Government Intervention
The democratic policy stance supports U.S. government intervention in the economy but opposes government involvement in the private, non-economic affairs of citizens. In its 2020 platform, the Democratic Party affirmed this economic approach, stating intervention is necessary to “take care of our workforce.” To this end, the platform advocates for raising the federal minimum wage and passing legislation to strengthen unions and workers’ rights in an effort to boost the middle class.
At a 2023 House committee hearing on oversight and government reform, Democrat representatives explained why they believe government intervention is important. Rep. Jamie Raskin stated that regulations are legal tools that serve the public by protecting the health and safety of Americans. Rep. Cori Bush claimed that industries won’t self-regulate without government intervention, which is why federal agencies like the OSHA, EPA, and FDA exist. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez added that intervention policy is crucial for protecting low-income communities that have few other protections.
In recent years, Democrats have embraced their support of “Big Government” through expensive policies and federal expansion. During the first 100 days of President Biden’s administration, he passed the second-largest stimulus bill in U.S. history and initiated a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan to rebuild the economy. The Democratic Party viewed this intervention as a necessary response to the economic decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Republican Stance on Government Intervention
The republican party political stance opposes government intervention. Many Republicans advocate for less government intervention in American lives, believing it fosters individual liberty. The 2016 GOP platform affirmed the party’s limited-government position regarding the economy, stating that “government cannot create prosperity.”
One of the core principles of conservatism is that a limited government is more efficient, less corrupt, and allows for greater citizen liberty. Republicans argue that the government itself is one of the greatest obstacles to the progress and prosperity of free people. They believe that free markets are the true drivers of innovation, improvement, and economic expansion.
This opposition to economic government intervention was seen during President Trump’s first administration when he rolled back numerous federal environmental regulations enacted by President Obama’s administration. This opposition to government intervention was seen in President Trump’s second administration as his executive order aimed to end the use of affirmative action and diversity promotion by federal contractors.
However, critics point out that while Republicans are against government intervention in the economy, the party often supports government intervention in the private, non-economic sphere. Policy intervention examples include state-level legislation by Republican lawmakers that regulates what teachers can teach students about America’s history with racism, as well as laws that force transgender students to play sports and use bathrooms according to their assigned gender at birth.
Brief History of Government Intervention
In early US history, lawmaker stances on government regulation opposed involving the federal government too heavily in the private sector, except to maintain law and order. Support for government regulation began to increase in the early 1900s during the Progressive Era, led by presidents Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) and Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921). Many of today’s U.S. regulatory agencies were created during these years, including the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission.
Federal government intervention significantly became more prevalent when Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the New Deal in the 1930s to alleviate the economic crisis of the Great Depression. The New Deal set minimum standards for wages and hours and spurred the growth of labor unions. Foundational institutions like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Social Security system were all created during this time.
Intervention increased once again due to the 2008 financial crisis, when the federal government intervened to rescue major banks. Congress passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which authorized the US Department of Treasury to buy up $700 billion in toxic assets from failing companies.
The most recent large-scale government intervention was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the federal government responded with several massive financial relief packages. This included three rounds of stimulus checks and the Paycheck Protection Programs, which helped small businesses keep workers on the payroll.
Public Opinion on Government Intervention
Americans seem to have mixed and often contradictory feelings on government intervention policy. According to the Pew Research Center, 46% of people say that they would rather have a smaller government providing fewer services. Similarly, a Gallup poll found that 52% of Americans believe the government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses.
When looking at different ideological groups, 81% of conservatives said that the government is doing too much, while 67% of liberals said the government should do more. Over the past several years, Americans under the age of 35 have become the most likely age group to say the government should do more to solve problems. Americans aged 35 to 54 and those 55 and older share similar views regarding government involvement. Furthermore, a Gallup poll found that the belief that the government is doing too much has always been more prominent when a Democrat is president than when a Republican is.
However, despite this reported preference for non-intervention by the government, a large majority of Americans believe that the federal government should intervene to make sure the public has access to basic human rights such as clean water, a quality public education, adequate food, and housing. Additionally, more than 7 in 10 voters from both sides of the aisle support major infrastructure investment, mandatory paid sick leave for employees, and an increase to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for low-income families.
What the Future Holds
The ideological split on U.S. government intervention policies is likely to persist as Democrats continue to advocate for economic intervention to address inequality and market failure, and Republicans will continue to promote economic liberty while supporting government intervention in social and cultural issues. Public opinion will likely be a key factor in how this debate plays out in future legislation.
To compare political parties’ views on other key policy topics, visit Biasly’s full list of Political Party Policy Stances.
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