Episode 606 Show Notes- If Not Now, Then Never: America’s Last Chance to Shrink Government

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Episode Description

Americans overwhelmingly say the government is too big, bloated, and wasteful, but what happens when real cuts start to hurt? As tariffs hit, government spending is slashed, and bureaucratic fat is trimmed, Americans will feel the consequences. With consumer sentiment and the stock market fluctuating, how much pain are Americans willing to bear for a leaner, more accountable government and a stronger economic future? Will they stand by President Trump as he moves forward with his agenda, or will short-term pain create backlash? In this episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast, Professor Nick Giordano breaks down the economic and political realities of government cuts, the tough choices ahead, and whether Americans truly have the resolve to end government overreach once and for all.

Episode Highlights:

- Tariffs, Budget Cuts & Market Reactions How economic pain hits American households and what it means for Trump’s economic plan.
- Are Americans Too Shortsighted? Voters demand smaller government, but will they backtrack as real consequences emerge?
- The Political Stakes Will Americans accept temporary pain for long-term prosperity, or will political pressure force a return to reckless government spending and business as usual in Washington DC?

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Show Notes- If Not Now, Then Never: America’s Last Chance to Shrink Government

Timestamps

00:54 The Impact of Public Sentiment on Policy
03:02 The Problem of Government Waste and Bureaucracy
05:53 The Consequences of Cutting Government Spending
07:31 Economic Instability and Market Reactions
11:25 Political Pressure and the Status Quo
16:28 Long-Term vs Short-Term Economic Strategies
23:30 The Role of Politicians vs Statesmen
28:52 The Urgency of Reform and Accountability

Welcome to The P.A.S. Report Podcast

[Auto-Generated Transcript]
Hello everyone, and welcome to The P.A.S. Report Podcast. I’m your host, Professor Nick Giordano. Be sure to follow and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode, and head over to pasreport.com to sign up for my newsletter, read the show notes, and share the episode with family and friends.

I have an extremely informative episode lined up for today because I want to talk about politics, economics, and how optics often translate into reality and policy even if it is to our own detriment and the detriment of the country. I talk about this often with my classes, and how public sentiment drives policy, whether it makes sense or not.

Whenever a new administration takes office, there’s a honeymoon period. Those first 100 days when the public and media give the president some breathing room. But what happens when that honeymoon ends and real policy changes take effect?

President Trump made no secret of his intentions and policies when he was running. He ran on tariffs to balance trade. He ran on downsizing the federal bureaucracy. He ran on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse within the government.

I’ve been an outspoken critic of government waste for years. I remember when Senator Tom Coburn used to issue his Pork Report, and the amount of waste on stupid, useless government programs was absolutely astonishing. It’s because of him that I bring the Pork Report to class when I am teaching the benefits and drawbacks of the federal bureaucracy.

What’s even more shocking is that within the massive federal bureaucracy, nobody ever steps up and says, “Hey, this is dumb. This is a waste of taxpayer dollars. We shouldn’t be funding this.” That tells you everything you need to know about how the bureaucracy works.

And it’s not just the bureaucrats. Most elected officials know about the waste, fraud, and abuse happening in Washington. And what have they done about it? Absolutely nothing. Many of them have been in office for 10, 20, even 30 years and still refuse to lift a finger to fix the problem. That alone should tell you how broken the system is.

It is actually disgraceful, and we have to be honest about the fact that both political parties are at fault. Both got us to the point of an extremely bloated government where waste, fraud, and abuse go unchecked.

This is not just a Democrat or Republican problem, both parties are to blame. Both have contributed to an out-of-control, bloated government where waste goes unchecked and accountability is nonexistent.

If we just look at history, the only President in the 20th and 21st centuries who actually reduced the size and scope of the federal government was Dwight D. Eisenhower. Every administration since has expanded government, but the worst offenders? FDR, LBJ, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden.

FDR expanded government control over the economy and society through excessive regulation.
LBJ created entitlement programs that fueled government dependency through his Great Society.
George W. Bush gave us the surveillance state, using national security as a pretext to erode civil liberties.
Biden has ballooned federal spending to unprecedented levels, driving it to historic highs as a percentage of GDP.

What’s frustrating is that we’ve been warned about this for centuries. From George Washington to Ronald Reagan, even Bill Clinton with his The Era of Big Government is Over State of the Union Address. Our leaders have cautioned against the dangers of an overgrown, centralized government.

Take Thomas Jefferson, who famously stated, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” Jefferson understood a fundamental truth: government intervention, no matter how well-intentioned, is a threat to a free society.

And once government reaches a certain size, shrinking it back down becomes nearly impossible—because it will always resist being downsized. The bigger the government gets, the harder it is to undo the damage without it affecting every aspect of our daily lives.

Americans have long said they want a smaller, leaner government, one that is less intrusive, less wasteful, and more accountable, and we now have a President that seems to be willing to do something about it.

But here’s the real test: Can Americans actually handle the pain of achieving it? Cutting government down to size isn’t just a slogan; it comes with real consequences. It’s messy and ugly. It means layoffs in bloated agencies, reductions in government programs, and canceling government contracts, which will hurt contractors including individuals, small businesses, and corporations. It means market disruption as businesses have to adjust to new trade policies and economic uncertainty. It means an economy will feel some turbulence before it stabilizes.

The question is, will Americans stay the course and understand that short-term pain leads to long-term prosperity, or will they demand relief the moment things get a little too uncomfortable? Because history has shown that when people start feeling the pinch, the opposition will exploit their frustration, using fear and uncertainty. This forces the other side, in this case, the Republicans, who have long preached about reckless spending and limited government, to become very weak. And in the end, the uniparty justifies keeping the very system they once claimed they wanted to change.

The real question isn’t just about Trump’s policies. It’s about the American people. Do we have the resilience to see meaningful reform through? Or are we too shortsighted to withstand the pain necessary to fix the system?

That’s what we’re going to break down in this episode. I’ll be right back after this quick break

Break

The Realities of Reform

Welcome back to The P.A.S. Report Podcast. We’ve talked about how cutting government down to size comes with real consequences, and we’re already seeing some of those effects play out, especially in the markets. Uncertainty is the enemy of economic stability, and right now, we have a lot of it.

Take tariffs, for example. One day, tariffs are set to go into effect, and the next, the administration announces a delay. If tariffs are postponed because progress is being made in negotiations, that’s one thing. But if the strategy is inconsistent, the market reacts negatively. Markets do not like uncertainty. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing, volatility.

In just the past month, the Dow has dropped nearly 6%, shedding about 2,500 points. The Nasdaq is down over 11%. The S&P 500 has dropped about 7.5%. There’s already talk about a possible recession as investor confidence wavers and businesses brace for economic shifts. Year to Date it isn’t too bad. The Dow is down about 1.5%, the Nasdaq a little over 7.5%, and the S&P around 4.5%.

And part of this drop isn’t just about tariffs, it’s about corporate earnings. Many companies are warning that earnings are going to take a hit. Some companies will see declining profits because consumer sentiment is shifting, and people are spending less. Others will struggle because they’ve built their entire business model around government contracts.

This is one of the biggest untold stories in all of this. We don’t talk enough about how many companies rely on the government gravy train. They aren’t operating in a free market. They are completely dependent on taxpayer-funded contracts. So now that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is cutting billions in spending, these companies will feel it.

At the same time, we have inflation concerns. Prices on certain products will rise as businesses adjust to new supply chains, shifting trade policies, and increased tariffs. These are real pressures felt by everyday Americans.

And listen, Democrats lost in large part because of the economy. Americans vote with their wallets. And most people don’t think in the long term. They think about what affects them right now.

As much as James Carville is an unhinged lunatic, he was right about one thing: “It’s the economy, stupid.” If people feel like their personal finances aren’t improving, politicians will cave. Pressure will mount to stop the cuts, to keep the spending flowing, and to return to the status quo.

For decades, we’ve heard politicians talk about waste, fraud, and abuse. They all say they want to trim government excess, eliminate pointless spending, and make agencies more efficient.

Well, now it’s happening. This is the first time in my lifetime, and probably all our lifetimes. And now, some of these same politicians are backpedaling.

Now they’re saying, “We can’t do this with a sledgehammer. We need a scalpel.” But let’s be real, these are the same people who created this bloated mess in the first place. They don’t want real reform. They just want to preserve the system while pretending to fix it.

And here’s the reality: The cuts have already begun.

As of March 5, the DOGE website reports:

Over $105 billion saved
More than 2,500 government contracts terminated
Over 3,500 grants eliminated
750+ government leases canceled

These cuts affect every major department and agency, from the General Services Administration (GSA) to the Department of Education, the EPA, the State Department, and more.

And here’s a big win: over $1 billion in DEI funding and contracts have been canceled. That’s right, the taxpayer-funded social justice grift is finally being dismantled. Dr. Stanley Ridgley and I spoke about that Monday when we discussed his book, DEI Exposed. If you haven’t listened yet, I suggest you check it out.

But while the American people seem largely supportive of the cuts right now, let’s talk about how the media, Democrats, and even some Republicans are spinning this.

Rather than celebrating massive taxpayer savings, they’re portraying these cuts as dangerous and harmful. They’re running stories about bureaucrats losing their jobs, about activists losing their government grants, about businesses who can’t survive without federal contracts.

And if you turn on CNN or MSNBC, you’ll see protests against these cuts. But these protests aren’t organic. They are organized and coordinated by the left-wing activist ecosystem. These people don’t care about efficiency or responsible spending. They care about keeping their funding streams intact.

The only difference now is that this administration isn’t caving to the pressure, at least not yet.

And then we have Elon Musk, who’s been leading the charge at DOGE. Now, Musk has made mistakes. But here’s the difference, at least he admits them and corrects course. That’s more than we can say for the entire federal bureaucracy and nearly every elected official in Washington.

But this effort is monumental. I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this in American history.

The question is, does this administration hold the line? Or does public pressure force a retreat back to reckless spending and bloated government?

We’ll get into that in the next segment, so stay tuned.

Break

Do Americans Have the Will to See It Through?

Welcome back to The P.A.S. Report Podcast. So now the big question: Are Americans in this for the long haul, or will they abandon ship the second things get too difficult?

The Trump administration has been clear: there will be short-term pain but long-term gain. The argument is that these tariffs, budget cuts, and reductions in government waste will ultimately strengthen the economy and restore American sovereignty, the people’s sovereignty, over our national and economic interests.

But that’s a tough sell.

It’s easy to convince people in the short term. But what happens if this drags on for a year or two? What happens if job losses start stacking up in from government layoffs and private sector employees dependent on government contracts? What happens when the media bombards the public with stories of suffering and economic hardship?

What will Trump do? He is in a unique position. He can’t run for re-election. That means he has a choice:

He can double down and focus on cementing his legacy because he knows he doesn’t have to cater to voters anymore.

Or he can bend to political pressure and scale back to relieve public backlash.

If he chooses legacy, he’ll push forward despite the short-term pain because he believes the long-term benefits will prove him right. If he chooses political convenience, he may start watering down his reforms to appease the public, the markets, and his own party.

So which will he choose and this is where we have to look at the difference between politicians and statesmen.

A politician bows to public pressure, even when it’s harmful to the country and to the detriment of the people. Politicians operate on short-term thinking, constantly looking to appease voters to maintain power. If the people complain loud enough, politicians will abandon necessary reforms to avoid backlash.

A statesman, on the other hand, plays the long game. A statesman tempers public expectations instead of pandering to them. A statesman understands that the greatest reforms require sacrifice and that temporary pain is necessary for long-term prosperity. A statesman prioritizes the public good over political convenience.

So the real question is: Will Trump act as a politician or a statesman?

And just as importantly, will the American people have the patience to withstand the discomfort required to fix the system?

That’s what we’ll explore as we wrap up this episode. So hang tight and we’ll be right back.

Break

If Not Now, Never: America’s Last Chance to Shrink Government

Welcome back to The P.A.S. Report Podcast. We’ve talked about the economic realities of these reforms, the political pressure to abandon them, and whether Americans have the resolve to see this through.

Now, we come to the most important point: If not now, then when?

For nearly a century, politicians from both parties have paid lip service to the idea of limited government. They’ve formed commissions, conducted studies, and held endless hearings about waste, fraud, and abuse. And yet, nothing has ever changed. Why? Because Washington has no incentive to shrink itself.

The federal government thrives on power and control. It has expanded its reach into nearly every aspect of American life. Our economy, our schools, our businesses, our communities, our families, our places of worship.

This isn’t how it was designed to function. The Founders intended power to rest with the states and, more importantly, with the people.

But over the years, we’ve allowed Washington to grow into an all-powerful leviathan (le·vi·a·than). Every new agency, program, and bureaucracy further strips power from the people. Reagan said it best in his Farewell Address, “As government expands, liberty contracts.”

And every time a politician promises to rein it in, they either ignore it once they get into positions of power or they ultimately back down.

For the first time in modern history, we have a real opportunity to reverse this. The Trump administration is actually cutting wasteful programs, actually canceling bloated government contracts, and actually eliminating unnecessary federal positions.

And yes, it will be painful. But real reform doesn’t happen without sacrifice. If we retreat now, if we allow the media, the Democrats, and weak Republicans to scare us into reversing course, then we will never have this chance again.

It’s why you have to stay informed. The media is going to lie, distort, and manipulate. Seek out primary sources and independent voices that actually tell the truth so subscribe and share The P.A.S. Report Podcast.

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But it goes beyond staying informed. We have to hold politicians accountable. Don’t let them cave to pressure. Demand that they stand firm on government cuts and reforms. And praise and stick with the elected officials who live up to this commitment.

Finally, engage in the fight. Share factual information, challenge false narratives, and make your voice heard. While we may never get back to what the founders truly envisioned, we have one shot to at least restore some balance and rein in the federal government’s overreach.

If we let this moment slip away, we may never get another chance, and we risk cementing a system where bureaucrats and career politicians hold unchecked control over our lives.

That’s it for this episode of The P.A.S. Report. Be sure to subscribe, share, and visit pasreport.com for more. I’ll be back on Monday with another great episode of The P.A.S. Report Podcast and I have some big announcements that you won’t want to miss.

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