The Importance of Retaking Institutions
Republicans have won their fair share of elections over the last few decades. But conservatives have lost ground because the left controls the institutions.
Lasting political change doesn’t come from winning elections but reshaping institutions.
On Feb. 26, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, issued a stunning announcement.
“I’m writing to let you know about a change coming to our opinion pages,” he wrote on X. “We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets.”
Yes, that’s the same Washington Post editorial board that attacked Donald Trump last year for promising tax cuts and reduced regulations. The same editorial board that called for a ban on AR-15s. The same editorial board that supported an artificial limit on gas-powered cars.
But Bezos went even further.
“I am of America and for America, and proud to be so,” he wrote. “Our country did not get here by being typical. And a big part of America’s success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else. Freedom is ethical — it minimizes coercion — and practical — it drives creativity, invention, and prosperity.”
I didn’t have Bezos echoing the 19th-century French economist Frederic Bastiat on my 2025 bingo card. Incredible.
Now, whether this move is sincere or cynical, think about why this matters. Throughout the country, there are always people changing their political opinions. I have, too, shifting away from libertarian passivity. Perhaps I’ve even persuaded some of my readers to reconsider an issue or two.
But Bezos’ decision is different because — if enacted — it will shift a major institution. Society isn’t just a collection of individuals making choices. It is shaped by its major institutions, whether they are groups, such as businesses, schools or government agencies, or practices, like marriage.
These institutions shape opinion and culture. They define the limits of socially acceptable behavior. Republicans have won their fair share of elections over the last few decades. But conservatives have lost ground because the left controls the institutions. In many places, it’s personally and professionally risky to say obviously true things — like “men are not women.”
This is one reason the left is so upset about President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to shrink the government. For decades, the left has used government agencies and tax dollars to amplify its ideology.
The Biden administration pressured social media companies to restrict content that contradicted the government’s preferred narrative. The Biden administration imprisoned pro-life protesters while dropping charges against Black Lives Matter rioters. The Biden administration sent the FBI after parents at school board meetings who opposed critical race theory. The Biden administration even weaponized the Justice Department to go after Trump.
The left’s abuse of institutional power for political advantage isn’t new, either. During the Obama administration, the IRS stalled the applications of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.
Then there’s the money. As DOGE has revealed, taxpayers have sent billions to left-wing nonprofits. Taxpayers also fund the K-12 and higher education systems, which routinely indoctrinate students in left-wing ideology. Many universities have used diversity statements to ensure they only hired leftists.
The stakes here are much higher than just saving money, although that’s nice. Trump and governors like Ron DeSantis are remaking or tearing down the institutions the left used to dominate.
Now, here’s a paradox that may give some conservatives pause. The right wants a marketplace of ideas free from government interference. Trump’s robust use of governmental power to achieve this seems like a contradiction.
But it’s not. A taxpayer-subsidized university doesn’t respond to market forces. Indoctrination in schools infringes on parental rights. Leftist bureaucrats use their authority to silence their opponents, not engage in good-faith debate.
Fixing these problems requires Republicans to govern aggressively. The right must regain control of the institutions that sit atop the country’s commanding heights.
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