Reihan Salam thinks they would do well to address the economic concerns of those middle- and working-class socially conservative voters who are putting them in office. “Get the government off our backs” doesn’t resonate with these voters as much as it might have in the 80s.

Alternatively, a moderately socially conservative Democrat Party could pick off many of these voters if, e.g. the costs of healthcare and child-rearing become too onerous. The GOP has benefitted from the Dems’ scorched earth commitment to abortion rights and other elements of an anti-traditionalist cultural agenda, but the D’s may be wising up.

My diagnosis is that conservatives have turned shrinking government from being a means (to revitalizing communities and private initiative) to an end in itself. But no sane conservative thinks we can do without government entirely. And libertarian zeal for smashing the state appeals to few people beyond a small group of ideologues and think-tankers.