Some Dems Mull Not Certifying a Trump Win
CNN's Senior Political Analyst Explains Why the Dems Are Bedwetting Right Now
The Chances of Republicans Retaking the Senate Are Pretty Solid
Que Mala Is Kamala
Knowledge, Stupidity, Virtue, Immorality
Among Donald Trump's Strengths: Keeping Violent Aggressors in Check
The White House Medical Report on Kamala Harris Won't Surprise You
Biden Said What About People Who Tell 'Lies' About the Hurricane Response?!
Gary Gensler Has to Go
HSI Scratches the Surface: The Expanding Investigation into Diddy's Alleged Criminal Empir...
Price Controls Are Harming Doctors
Fires, Pollution and Slavery: EVs’ Ugly Truth
Senseless Palestinians
Harris Can't Pivot From Bidenflation
American Families Are Paying the Price of Kamala Harris’ Failures
OPINION

We Don't Need a Balanced Budget Amendment

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

The Constitution already places strict limits on what the federal government can and cannot do. The problem is that those limits have become stretched over the years to the point that the federal government can do pretty much what it pleases. As a result, Americans have become accustomed to, and dependent upon, the federal government to supervise their lives from cradle to grave.

Advertisement

Most Republicans are about as enthusiastic to confront this reality as most Democrats are in reversing it. Thus, the convenient resurgence in popularity for a balanced budget amendment on the part of Republicans has been driven by an unwillingness — or inability — to flesh out exactly what federal agencies and programs would have to go in order to bring the budget into balance without raising taxes.

Indeed, it's not a coincidence that the balanced budget amendment wasn't a priority for Republicans when they were jacking up spending and debt during George W. Bush's tenure. Now that the Obama Democrats have done the Republicans one better on the fiscal profligacy front, the GOP is really just looking to score political points for the November 2012 elections by hoisting up the balanced budget amendment as a litmus test for fiscal propriety.

Advertisement
However, the purpose of the balanced budget amendment is to put an end to budget deficits, and deficits are only a symptom of the real problem: too much spending. Therefore, Republicans who support the balanced budget amendment cannot cite it as evidence that they're serious about cutting spending unless they're prepared to detail what they would cut in order to bring the budget into balance.

While proponents of the balanced budget amendment argue that it would also reign in spending, almost all the states possess balanced budget requirements and that hasn't stopped state spending from continuing to increase. In fact, the balanced budget amendment would actually end up solidifying the oversized and overbearing federal government we have today. Therefore, policymakers who truly desire a federal government that is smaller in size and scope should concentrate their efforts on convincing the American people that the country would be better off.

Tad DeHaven is a budget analyst at the Cato Institute and co-editor of Downsizing Government.org.

More by Tad DeHaven

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos