Challenges—and Opportunities—We See from Both Parties

As I recalled last month, the last decade in America has seen a notable shift in public policy conversations becoming more focused on the well-being of the poor and working-class than they were previously. There are many reasons for this, but a key factor has been the recognition that tens of millions of Americans feel ignored—or worse—by the country’s mainstream institutions.

The country is realigning

The policy community’s response and resulting work has been varied, but in my opinion, a more significant transformation is unfolding in the political arena among elected officials—in particular, those who aspire to higher office.

Political observers have referred to a phenomenon known as “realignment,” wherein the Republican Party has become more working-class, while the Democratic Party has become increasingly made up of the country’s elite—largely the opposite of what many assumed about the two parties for decades previously. I’ll leave it to others to determine whether this realignment is a positive or a negative for either party or for the country as a whole.

Rather, what’s relevant for FREOPP is the changing dynamic of the kinds of policies that lawmakers and candidates prioritize.

A new unity on key issues

As a positive, there is a renewed bipartisan focus on certain issues critical to upward mobility, such as housing, workforce development, and energy abundance. That’s not to say there is universal agreement on the problems in these areas, let alone the policy solutions. But policymakers and thought leaders on both sides of the aisle have recognized the need to advance pro-growth solutions in these areas specifically because they are vital to the well being of struggling Americans.

That itself represents important progress, and for FREOPP, creates opportunities we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on to enact change. We will do just that, true to our founding vision of advancing free-market solutions on a bipartisan basis that help uplift the poor.

• On housing, our priorities include improving transparency, accountability, and outcomes for housing finance assistance programs like the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, as well as reforming zoning and land use to increase housing supply.
• On energy, we advocate for regulatory reforms that facilitate the expansion of affordable, abundant, and reliable sources – including nuclear energy, which can both increase energy abundance and reduce emissions output.
• On workforce development, we will work to ensure access to non-college postsecondary education options that facilitate upward mobility by equipping workers with the skills they need to meet the demands of an evolving 21st century economy.

These are just a few examples, but we see considerable opportunity for bipartisan policy change that can uplift the poor and working class.

The pitfalls we must avoid

However, one unfortunate aspect of this “populist” moment, as some have referred to it, is the desire from some lawmakers on both sides to engage in class warfare and push policies of wealth redistribution rather than policies of growth and upward mobility. Whether they do so because they genuinely believe in the policies, or whether they merely see an opportunity for political gain, FREOPP will set the record straight.

We will not allow lawmakers to prey on the struggles and frustrations of the American people unanswered. Policies of wealth redistribution and dependence that hold back one group do not uplift another. The same goes for policies of protectionism and favoritism; there is no widespread prosperity to be had from the government picking winners and losers.

The way forward

Uplifting people to broad-based prosperity and stability—strengthening families, communities, and our country—requires economic growth, and economic growth requires free markets and the policies that facilitate them. After all, free markets, free trade, property rights, and the rule of law are the greatest antipoverty tools ever known to mankind. FREOPP will answer false and misleading demagoguery in the name of the poor with facts, data, and, above all, pro-growth policy solutions on issues like trade, taxes, healthcare, and more.

Along with producing industry-leading original research, truth-telling will be a critical component of FREOPP’s thought leadership, because the political discourse needs it and it’s what the American people deserve. I look forward to sharing more details about our strategies on specific issues in the months ahead.

In freedom,

Akash Chougule, President