NEW ISSUE: What Now, Republicans?

People seeking to be legislators should presumably seek to legislate.

(Illustration: National Review. Background image: Erin Scott/Reuters) "People seeking to be legislators should presumably seek to legislate," Yuval Levin writes in the new issue of NATIONAL REVIEW, "and candidates who want to be elected lawmakers should probably explain how electing them could result in better laws."   But ten weeks before a consequential election, what exactly does the Republican Party of 2022 stand for? Does anyone know? Do the Republicans in Congress even know? Sure, we can assume that Republicans stand against whatever the Democrats are up to, and — to be fair — a "first, do no harm" approach to politics is a pretty good, small-c conservative place to start.   The American republic, however, faces severe challenges. The Grand Old Party owes the country an explanation of just what — specifically — it intends to do if the American people hand it the gavels of power in Congress come January 2023.   In this special pre-midterm-elections issue, we asked distinguished thinkers to propose a new agenda for the GOP.   We cover six areas of policy:   In "Power to the Parents," Dan Lips lays out priorities for K–12 education in a post-Covid world that has grown more and more comfortable with giving parents a real choice in their kids' schooling.   Beth Akers looks at what a Republican Congress can do to rein in the magical financial assumptions of the college lobby in "Higher-Value Higher Ed."   What could the GOP do to fight inflation and reestablish sanity in monetary policy? Alexander William Salter takes a look in "Modernizing Monetary Policy."   How does one solve a problem that few on Capitol Hill even understand? In "The Check on Big Tech," Adam J. White unpacks the thorny policy options, ranging from Section 230 reform to antitrust enforcement.   Chris Pope tackles a post-pandemic, post–"repeal-and-replace Obamacare" American medical system in urgent need of reform in "Medical Breakthrough." Making conservative health-reform ideas popular is the first, crucial step.   Finally, in "Baby Steps" Ramesh Ponnuru argues that, in a post-Dobbs world, congressional Republicans must have a concrete pro-life policy to take to the public. K–12 education, college reform, inflation, Big Tech, health care, and abortion — these are some of the most critical issues facing Americans. The good news is that there are conservative answers to these problems, if only Republicans would care to campaign and then govern on this agenda.   To those who argue that Republicans should merely oppose the Democrats and keep their powder dry, Yuval responds: "The idea that Republicans should avoid getting into the details of policy so that they can win elections by not giving voters too much to oppose is therefore a dangerous distortion of the nature of the politician's role."   "It is not more sophisticated," Yuval continues, "but more naïve, than the commonsense proposition that people asking to be legislators should explain how they would legislate.   If you're a subscriber, you can read the whole issue here.   From Ross Douthat's movie review to Joseph Epstein's essay on the need for precision in language to Charlie Cooke's thinking through the next year of the Trump show, this issue of NR has it all.   Very sincerely yours, Mark Antonio Wright Executive Editor No longer wish to receive NRPLUS notifications? Adjust your preferences.