Is the current debate over the federal budget a topic of concern for faithful Christians?
What wisdom does Christian theology impart upon this messy fiscal process?
For starters, budget debates in Washington mostly focus on purely commercial objectives. For most liberals, the agenda tilts toward their vision of “equity,” which is simply a more palatable term for communism. For conservatives, the process normally fixates on topline growth…the highest possible national GDP, regardless of the social consequences.
Of course, the Christian worldview demands more – and commands a difference.
We reject statism entirely and recognize the threats posed by an all-encompassing state that stifles economic opportunity and represses the soul through the false god of secular progressivism.
Concurrently, we must do better than the cold mercantilist approach that diminishes human beings into mere cogs in an economic machine that seeks maximum output, regardless of the fallout.
Catholics in particular take direction from the seminal Church teaching on economics, Rerum Novarum. Pope Leo XIII taught that private ownership of enterprise “is not only lawful, but absolutely necessary.” He praised the dignity of work, in language later channeled through Pope John Paul II in his related encyclical, Laborem Exercens, extolling the wonder of creative work that honors the ultimate Creator.
The current populist moment in America flows from a pro-worker perspective, and this movement gains power primarily because of economic circumstances. Globalist crony capitalism has worked well for the credentialed ruling class of society. But the working-class masses know they have been left behind by a crooked system, and they vote accordingly.
The power centers of America – from New York newsrooms to elite faculty university lounges to cooperate C suites – grapple with this new reality of an ascendant America First movement. Most of the powerbrokers running those entities cannot fathom why the working-class masses fervently rally to an agenda of populist nationalism.
In this regard, those same potentates reveal their lack of understanding of Christian principles. After all, followers of Jesus have, for time immemorial, prioritized the success and prosperity of families and communities, not multinational conglomerates. We pay homage to the precepts of economic subsidiarity, as explained eloquently by GK Chesterton. A vibrant society needs decision-making and economic power dispersed throughout the land. In comparison, efficiency studies from Harvard Business School ring hollow.
This philosophy does not seep into the tyranny of socialism, as Austrian economics adherents might suggest. Instead, this authentic Christian approach to the economy always prioritizes private enterprise, while concurrently insisting that public policy be ordered toward the common good rather than toward maximum efficiency that rewards a connected few.
To get specific, families and small businesses have been crushed by the punishing inflation of the Joe Biden era. Substantive polling expresses this dismal reality. For example, the latest poll my organization conducted – of Wisconsin voters – revealed that 60% say Bidenomics “hurt their families” and only 29% report that it “helped their families.”
Thankfully, the same poll reveals a newfound sense of optimism since Trump’s election, with Wisconsin young adults (age 18-24) growing “more confident” in the economy by a wide 56-29% margin.
Those young adults face economic hurdles that were unknown to their parents and grandparents. Homeownership seems impossible under the worst housing affordability ratios in US history.
No wonder young adults recoil from marriage and parenthood. There are other cultural, religious, and non-financial forces in play. But economic incentives are presently stacked against family formation, in direct contravention to Christian values.
People like me who are middle-aged or older may recall nostalgically a society where middle-class families could thrive on a single income. Is that scenario even possible today? Not for the masses!
As Americans, we respect every citizen’s right to make crucial life decisions of their own volition, regarding marriage, children, and relationships. Liberty means that citizens may pursue happiness as they please.
Concurrently, as Christian citizens, we must insist upon policies that prioritize strong, stable families. We must also embrace distributism and policies that foster a diffusion of economic power.
Tackling inflation represents an absolute economic north star. Runaway prices crush families’ budgets and sap spirits. Entrenched successful people and corporations can handle inflation and, in many cases, even benefit from it. But for the working-class masses, inflation kills prosperity and siphons the dynamism of free enterprise from Main Street.
In this sense, budget wrangling is about more than numbers – it is partly a spiritual battle that requires the activism of the faithful. We can ensure that the America First movement achieves a long-talked-about agenda that finally reins in runaway government and compels a return to fiscal sanity.
Such reforms would whip inflation and help lead to the kind of society we want – a place where families thrive, small businesses blossom, and the common good becomes paramount.
Steve Cortes is senior political advisor to CatholicVote and president of the League of American Workers, a populist right pro-laborer advocacy group. He is a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance, plus a former commentator for Fox News and CNN.
