Ben Sasse on Welfare & Poverty

Churches & charities are the lifeblood of society

• Churches, charities, civil associations--these are the lifeblood of society and the chief protection against the extremes of isolated individualism and all-encompassing statism.
• Government should focus on promoting the conditions in which individuals, families, and local communities can pursue happiness and thrive, not on creating the communities, guaranteeing happiness, or equalizing outcomes.
• Government does not exist to solve every problem, could not do so if it tried, and often undermines freedom even when it succeeds--and thus should tread lightly in domestic and economic matters.
• Nothing can match the creativity and responsiveness of the private sector, and products and services do not become more efficient by being more heavily regulated.

Replace entitlements with an opportunity society

"The greatness of America is the greatness of the American people," he continues, "not the greatness of centralized bureaucracies in Washington, D.C. Why is Washington, D.C., a boomtown when the rest of the country has economic despair? Why are housing prices going up in D.C. when everywhere else in the world they've had a horrible five years? The federal government ain't feeling the pain. They just keep on growing."