Dwain Northey (Gen X)

The GOP loves to brand itself as the “small government” party—champions of liberty, freedom, and keeping the government out of your life. But let’s be real: they don’t want small government. They want selective government. They want a government that doesn’t regulate industries, corporations, or Wall Street—but one that kicks your door down to see who’s in your bedroom, your bathroom, or your doctor’s office.

When it comes to public health? Nope, not their problem. Whether it’s sabotaging the Affordable Care Act, undermining pandemic responses, or opposing mental health funding, they’ve made it clear they don’t see collective well-being as a responsibility of government. When banks crash the economy or payday lenders trap people in debt, where is the party of oversight? Silent. They’re too busy defending deregulation in the name of “freedom,” even when that freedom means giving corporations carte blanche to screw over everyday Americans.

But when it comes to your most personal decisions? Suddenly, the government should be everywhere. They want to police who uses which bathroom based on outdated notions of gender. They want to dictate who can compete in women’s sports, despite having no consistent record of supporting women’s athletics in any meaningful way. They want the government inside OB-GYN offices, forcing women to carry pregnancies they don’t want, or even can’t survive, with laws written by men who can’t find a cervix with Google Maps.

Their “limited government” mantra ends the minute someone exercises a freedom they don’t like. A trans kid playing soccer? Ban it. A woman choosing not to carry a pregnancy? Criminalize it. A library with books they find “woke”? Shut it down. They’re not governing—they’re moralizing. Their version of government isn’t small—it’s petty, invasive, and deeply authoritarian, just selectively applied.

So no, the GOP doesn’t want small government. They want weaponized government. A government small enough to drown in a bathtub when it’s time to fund schools or expand healthcare—but big enough to monitor bathrooms and track menstrual cycles. This isn’t about freedom. It’s about control. And the only “limited” thing here is their respect for personal autonomy—especially if you’re not white, male, straight, and Christian.