72nd Edition
There is a new book out that has been the source of much debate. It’s called “Mandate for Leadership The Conservative Promise.” I have never read, nor am I aware of any previously published book quite like it. It was written by close to 100 conservative groups, with input from around 400 scholars, strategists, policy analysts, economists, academics, and administrators. Mandate for Leadership has four overall goals: (quoted from page 3)
1. Restore the family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.
2. Dismantle the administrative state and return self-government to the American people.
3. Defend our nation’s sovereignty, borders, and bounty against global threats.
4. Secure our God-given individual rights to live freely – what our Constitution calls “the Blessings of Liberty.”
All wonderful goals, in my view, but they aren’t really unique. I mean, who doesn’t want to protect children or receive the blessings of liberty? Today, the debate, or disagreement more accurately, is about how we approach achieving each goal. The book’s 887 pages are a roadmap for strategies and recommendations to improve in a host of areas that impact everyone, including: Government, Defense, Economy, Health Care, Education, Commerce, Federal Reserve, Trade, and Regulation.
The only section I have read so far is the one on education. There are several worthwhile recommendations in it, but they left out the proper role for athletics, which as you may recall, I’ve written about in the past. I’ve sent my recommendations to a few individuals at different think tanks, but so far haven’t made much progress. I will keep sharing my views in this area because I firmly believe in them. In a nutshell, at least in the area of education, the document isn’t complete, it can be improved upon. But it’s a decent start.
It’s frustrating to me when change doesn’t happen as fast as I want it to. I have to remind myself that our republic was designed to change slowly. But we can’t give up hope or become apathetic. Nor should we simply criticize without offering solutions.
The next section I plan to read will be on the economy. Lots of moving parts to that, so it should be very interesting. We have the largest economy in the world, and it has produced more wealth than any system in world history. Yet, today, we face income inequality, massive government regulation, an alarming decline in trust in business, traditional institutions as well as the government, and the largest national debt in our history. None of these problems will be easy to solve, and at all times, as we develop policies and solutions that will impact the economy, we should remember the laws of unintended consequences. I’ve written several blogs on the economy in the past year. You can read (or reread) them here – https://kayesbooks.com/category/economy-and-markets/ I wonder if the section on the economy in this book will challenge my thinking? I hope so.
My expectation is that no matter what section I read, I will find parts I agree with and some I do not. All viewpoints related to each specific topic should be analyzed, challenged, and debated. This process occurs every day within leading think tanks. I have profound respect for all those dedicated to this process and ongoing debate. Frederick Hess, Yuval Levin, and Robert Pondiscio, three outstanding scholars at the American Enterprise Institute, have done tremendous work and are excellent writers, in my opinion. Likewise for Ryan Anderson and Lance Morrow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, who author insightful essays on multiple topics.
Every day I read articles that I agree with and some that I do not. The only way to develop a thorough understanding of any serious issue is to read essays from scholars and experts that offer well-researched viewpoints from all sides of the debate. How often do we do that?
Conservatives wrote “Mandate for Leadership.” It should not be surprising that Progressives, or the Left, have opposed it. I hope they will come out with their own version. I am curious to see if their education policy will incorporate athletics in the manner I have advocated. I also hope that their policies will help grow the economy more broadly and equitably, while it reduces regulation and lowers the national debt. Essentially, I am political label neutral and prefer workable and effective solutions to our country’s challenges, no matter which side they come from.
Somehow we need to establish a greater sense of accountability in the overall process of how our country is governed (This is the point of goal #2 above). I am reminded of the famous quote of British historian Lord Acton – “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It would be a helpful first step to acknowledge two things. First, Lord Acton’s quote applies to both sides. In other words, all vice cannot be attributed solely to the side you disagree with, nor can all virtue only be found on the side with which you agree.
Second, at the end of the day, it all boils down to leadership. As noted author John C. Maxwell stated, “A leader must know the way, show the way, and go the way.” In essence, know the way means having a thorough understanding of the issue at hand and developing the optimal solution to solving it. Show the way means formulating the strategy to implement the solution efficiently and effectively. Go the way means leading that effort, rolling up your sleeves and getting the job done. The most charismatic leaders lead by example.
Of course, leadership, especially at the national level, is more complicated than that. But it’s a decent start. In the meantime, I hope to continue to share ideas, read, ponder, dialogue, and listen to all the super smart people I can find. I am ever hopeful that it is still possible to work together without agreeing about every aspect of the process. Disagreeing without being disagreeable is a simple, but noble concept, yet it isn’t easy to do. Benjamin Franklin’s warning seems apropos… In a response to a question about whether the new constitution would provide a monarchy or a republic. Franklin said, “A republic. If you can keep it.”
Please help me grow my readership by forwarding this to a friend(s). In the meantime, say tuned for my next newsletter. Thanks
Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.