Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) says he wants families to be able to get by on the income of just one parent in an economic plan that goes beyond the GOP staples of lowering taxes and cutting regulations to boost the macroeconomy.
DeSantis, who is former President Donald Trump’s closest challenger in the Republican presidential primaries, released an op-ed on Monday in which he railed against the state of the economy and laid out his presidential priorities. Parts of the plan appear to align with a shift in the GOP away from orthodox fiscal conservatism toward more government support for families.
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“We will diversify and expand our economy by rewarding hard work and empowering our citizens to control their own destinies,” he wrote. “We want to be a country that makes things, where a family can raise children on a single income, and where young people can develop the skills and values necessary to build a decent life and contribute to their communities.”
Venture capitalist Blake Masters, who ran an unsuccessful but highly publicized 2022 run for the seat of Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), thrust the idea of a federal policy enabling families to exist on the income of just one spouse into the spotlight. While controversial, the idea has gained prominence with some economic populists on the Right who think that the federal government should better prioritize and incentivize family-building.
In a campaign video, Masters said families used to be able to get by with just one breadwinner, blaming globalization and decades of inflation for tanking that prospect. He was attacked as sexist by some on the Left at the time but said most families would prefer to do so if given the choice.
DeSantis also set a goal for 3% annual GDP growth as part of his plan. Candidates for president often set a GDP goal, which is a metric that measures relative economic growth over time. For instance, during the 2016 election, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush targeted 4% growth.
Between 2010 and 2019, following the Great Recession, annual GDP growth fluctuated between 1.5% and 2.95%. There was a massive contraction during the pandemic in 2020, followed by a huge expansion in 2021. Last year, GDP growth clocked in at just over 2%. The last time the economy expanded by more than 3%, aside from 2021, was 2005.
DeSantis said he plans to unleash stronger economic growth through policy reforms and called President Joe Biden’s slew of regulations, executive orders, and agency rule-making “job-crippling.” He said 3% annual growth is a feasible goal under a DeSantis administration.
“We will do so by advancing an ambitious tax and regulatory reform agenda to unleash American production, increase productivity and growth, and support our families, workers and small businesses, all while lowering inflation,” the Florida governor said.
A major point in DeSantis’s economic plan is peeling back federal bureaucracy. Federal agencies under Biden have flexed their strength through the rule-making process, with the government issuing several controversial federal rules tied to the climate, labor, and environmental, social, and governance standards.
Republicans in Congress have recently made targeting the administrative state a top priority, with Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) introducing the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act, or REINS Act, earlier this year. The bill targets rule-making from the executive branch and would mandate that every new “major rule” proposed by federal agencies must be approved by both the House and Senate before going into effect.
DeSantis has vowed to hobble the administrative state, something that he contends will spur red-hot economic growth by cutting barriers to that expansion.
“I will use all available constitutional authority to restore accountability in the executive branch, move agencies out of Washington, D.C., and slash the bureaucratic state, restrict foreign lobbying and post-employment revolving doors by former government officials, and ban individual stock trading by members of Congress and executive branch officials,” DeSantis wrote.
Additionally, he said he intends to curb the power of the Federal Reserve and dial back federal spending.
“There will be a new sheriff in town when it comes to spending, and I will not be afraid of using my veto pen or the bully pulpit,” DeSantis said.
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Currently, Trump is the clear front-runner for Republicans heading into 2024.
Trump’s support within the party is registering at over 50%, according to an aggregate of polls by RealClearPolitics. Meanwhile, DeSantis has seen his share of support fall from a peak of about 30% earlier this year to nearly 16% now.