Newt Gingrich in A Nation Like No Other, by Speaker Newt Gingrich
On Welfare & Poverty:
FactCheck: Poverty rate has fallen under War on Poverty
Bill O'Reilly of Fox News cited the same statistics as in Newt Gingrich's book on the War on Poverty; Gingrich wrote: "From
1965 to 2008... the years-long decline in American poverty suddenly stopped. By 2009 the poverty rate stood at 14.3%--about where it was when the War of Poverty began."PolitiFact.com reports:
[LBJ's programs] focused on elderly poverty, which is down to 13%. [Gingrich also] uses the wrong numbers. The poverty rate was 17.3% in 1965, not 14%. So the poverty has fallen by 3 percentage points, or by about 1/6 its original level.
Counting different years shows even more decline. In 1962, the poverty rate ranged was 20%. In pre-recession 2007, it stood at 12.5%. Comparing 1962 and 2007, the poverty rate dropped by over 1/3.
Source: FactCheck 2012 on "A Nation Like No Other" by PolitiFact.com
Jul 26, 2011
On Abortion:
Stop forcing pro-choice morality on religious organizations
The campaign against public prayer and the display of religious symbols is only the tip of the iceberg. Consider the following examples:- In May 2009, a pro-life nurse at a New York hospital was forced to participate in a late-term abortion, even
though the hospital had agreed in writing to honor her religious convictions.
- In Jan. 2010, a Baptist minister was sentenced to thirty days in jail for peacefully protesting outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Oakland, California.
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In Feb. 2010, five men were threatened with arrest for preaching Christianity on a public sidewalk in Virginia.
The Founders would have regarded such efforts to remove God from public life as a fundamental threat to liberty.
They saw no contradiction between the First Amendment, which was designed to PROTECT religious liberty, and the need for a free people to remember that their liberties come from God.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p. 87-89
Jun 13, 2011
On Abortion:
Immediately cease public funding for abortion providers
Abortion is perhaps the most contentious public issue today, testing the professed American principle that every human life is precious and entitled to constitutional protection. With the advent of increasingly sophisticated ultrasound technology, public
opinion on abortion has shifted, with a majority of Americans now identifying themselves as pro-life. As with any public policy, the more strongly public opinion is swayed in defense of unborn life, the more our laws should and will change as a result.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p. 92
Jun 13, 2011
On Civil Rights:
Stop forcing same-sex marriage on religious organizations
The campaign against religious symbols is only the tip of the iceberg. Consider the following:- In Nov. 2006, a student at Missouri State University studying to be a social worker was interrogated by school faculty and subsequently threatened with
expulsion when, after being required to lobby state legislators in favor of same-sex adoptions, she asked for an alternative assignment that did not violate her Christian beliefs.
- In Oct. 2009, Congress passed a "hate speech" law subjecting pastors and
other faith leaders to prosecution for preaching aspects of their faith that the state decides are "hate speech."
- A Methodist camp meeting association in New Jersey now faces civil rights charges after refusing now faces civil rights charges after
refusing a request to host a same-sex couple's "civil union ceremony" in its worship space.
- A young Christian photographer was fined nearly $7,000 in attorney's fees after she refused to photograph the "commitment ceremony" of a same-sex couple.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p. 87-88
Jun 13, 2011
On Education:
Let parents choose public, private, parochial, or homeschool
Home-educated students score an average of 15 to 30 points higher than public-school students on standardized tests, including the SAT and ACT, regardless of their parents' level of formal education or the level of family income.
Because families who homeschool do not depend on taxpayer-funded resources, taxpayers save an estimated $16 billion each year thanks to homeschooling.
Except in cases of demonstrable neglect or abuse, lawmakers and judges must enact and enforce policies that support the right of parents to direct the upbringing of their
children and choose the educational model that best suits the child's needs, whether public school, private or parochial school, or homeschooling.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p. 94-95
Jun 13, 2011
On Environment:
Critical Katrina recovery by energetic church volunteers
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast with unprecedented ferocity. In Mississippi ordinary citizens and civic groups met that challenge head-on. Disaster victims were assisted by nearly a million volunteers who donated 10 million man-hours (worth
$143 million in labor costs) and $400 million in financial assistance. From Catholic Charities USA, the Salvation Army, and the Red Cross to small church congregations, Americans came together to help those in need. The civic activism in the Gulf
Coast reflect the kind of energetic civil society that the Founders believed was a critical component of early American civilization. The Founders focused on the right of individuals to live their lives as they see fit, including through associations.
A brief history of American civil society will show how our dedication to neighbor, community, and country became a hallmark of American Exceptionalism.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p.116-117
Jun 13, 2011
On Families & Children:
Responsibility for child's education resides with parents
Our public school system is increasingly geared toward serving the needs of government employee unions and other special interest groups instead of the educational, moral, and emotional needs of our children. With public schools becoming increasingly
bureaucratic, hostile to religious expression, and unresponsive to parental input, American families are increasingly choosing alternative education methods for their children such as private schools, charter schools, and homeschooling.
Such options allow parents to customize their child's curriculum and learning environment, provide a safe environment free of drugs and violence, and impart strong religious values. The point is not to demonize the public school system. Rather, the
point is to reinforce the time-honored principle that the authority and responsibility to raise children, direct their education, and instill in them the values that make a free society flourish, all reside with the child's parents, not the state.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p. 95
Jun 13, 2011
On Principles & Values:
American Exceptionalism is central to our nation's survival
"A Nation Like No Other" is dedicated to the proposition that American Exceptionalism is so central to our nation's survival that every generation must learn why being an American is a unique and precious experience. "A Nation Like No Other" reflects my
belief that American Exceptionalism is so censored that too many Americans no longer understand why their country is both exceptional and an exception to the form and practice of government in all other countries. The facts are all on our side.
America is simply the most extraordinary nation in the history. This is not a statement of nationalist hubris. It is an historic fact. America is exceptional indeed, yet our cultural heritage, our unique habits of liberty that have made us such a
successful society, are now being threatened by a combination of centralized bureaucracies, leftwing ideologies, destructive litigation, and an elite view that American Exceptionalism is no longer acceptable or even permissible.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p. 13
Jun 13, 2011
On Principles & Values:
Declaration assumes God created man
One of the Declaration's most famous passages proclaims, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...." This assertion makes some key assumptions about
the relationship between man and God: It assumes that God created man. It assumes that God is sovereign over the universe. It assumes that man must obey an order of justice that God has instituted. That order of justice requires all men and women to honor
each other's natural rights, because these rights are an unalienable endowment from the Almighty. When someone violates another's rights, he is not merely breaking the law, he is violating God's grant of protection. This points to two additional
assumptions underlying the Declaration: first, that if our rights are given by a divine Creator, then there is a divine plan for humanity; and second, that since all men are equal before God, they should be legally and politically equal as well.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p. 21
Jun 13, 2011
On Principles & Values:
Five habits of liberty sustain American Exceptionalism
Looking through 400 years of American history, we find five habits of liberty that have been crucial to sustaining American Exceptionalism.
They are: faith and family, work, civil society, rule of law, and safety and peace. Tempering man's worst impulses, these distinctly
American habits are vital to cultivating an engaged, informed citizenry, which is needed to sustain a free republic and secure the unalienable rights asserted in the Declaration of Independence.
The emphasis on these habits set America apart from its European counterparts, where monarchs were intent on cultivating passive, obedient subjects unlikely to change their ruler's claim to power.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p. 42
Jun 13, 2011
On Principles & Values:
Start speaking out in favor of American Exceptionalism
Ten Steps to Restoring American Exceptionalism: Instead of waiting for government to reform itself, we should immediately start living our lives every day in ways that promote freedom, personal responsibility, and self-government. Here are ten thing
you can do to help America's future be as exceptional as its past. - Learn about American history, exceptional Americans, and America's founding principles.
- Speak out. Once you feel confident in your knowledge, start speaking out in favor of
American Exceptionalism.
- Question governmental authority at every turn.
- Teach the children around you.
- Insist on schools that teach responsibility and the fundamentals of American citizenship.
- Defeat and replace bad judges.
-
Reestablish the work ethic.
- Celebrate American holidays: Memorial Day; Veterans Day; the Fourth of July; Thanksgiving.
- Volunteer in your community.
- Run for office. Your country needs you.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p.190-196
Jun 13, 2011
On Tax Reform:
Death tax is a direct assault on civil society
Expansive government rapidly becomes expensive government, and that requires new and higher taxes. The transfer of money from citizens to the bureaucracy then further weakens civil society & leads to even more expensive & even more expensive government.
That effort to finance Big Government through higher taxes is a direct assault on civil society, and the "death tax" is a prime example. This tax, which is in a constant state of flux and was resurrected in 2001 after effectively disappearing in
2010, falls especially hard on small business. That sector contributes immensely to America's social and economic dynamism, often acting as the cornerstone of community organizations and local philanthropy.
Entrepreneurs and shopkeepers are community leaders and, when prosperous, are generous with their time and money. Prosperity and generosity are highly correlated, as those with more to give feel obliged to give more.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p.129-130
Jun 13, 2011
On Welfare & Poverty:
When free welfare is provided, people choose not to work
President Lyndon Johnson famously announced the War on Poverty. From 1965 to 2008, total spending on this "war" reached nearly $16 trillion in 2008 dollars. And what did we get in return? Soon after the War on
Poverty programs were adopted, the years-long decline in American poverty suddenly stopped. By 2009 the poverty rate stood at 14.3%--about where it was when the War of Poverty began. In 1960, nearly
2/3rds of low-income households were headed by persons who worked, but by 1991, the proportion had fallen to 1/3, with only 11% working full time, year round. With the government providing so much in free welfare, many people chose not to work.
Welfare recipients who go to work lose their benefits as their income rises. This is effectively an extra tax on work that must be paid on top of the usual array of federal, state, and local taxes.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p.109
Jun 13, 2011
On Welfare & Poverty:
1996: One out of 184 programs block-granted back to states
In 1996, welfare reform returned the share of federal spending on the program to each state in the form of a "block grant" to be used in a new welfare program. The key to the 1996 reforms was that the new block grants to each state were finite, not
matching, so federal funding did not vary with the amount the state spent. If a state's new program cost more, the state had to pay the extra costs itself. If the program cost less, the state could keep the savings.There was just one problem with the
1996 reforms: they only reformed one federal program. The federal government sponsors another 184 means tested welfare programs, including Medicaid, Food Stamps, 27 low-income housing programs, 30 employment and training programs, 34 social services
programs, and 24 low-income child care programs, among others. All these programs could and should be block granted back to the states just as AFDC was in 1996, effectively shedding the federal government of responsibility for welfare.
Source: A Nation Like No Other, by Newt Gingrich, p.110-111
Jun 13, 2011
Page last updated: Feb 19, 2019