Can the Republican Party Be Saved? Should It?

Abstract

The elevation of Donald Trump as head of the Republican Party and the coalescing of Republicans behind him marks a dramatic shift in the core ideologies of the Republican Party. This creates a dilemma for Republicans who continue to embrace the party's former right-of-center philosophy of free markets, limited government, liberalized migration, and skepticism of politicians and politics. They must decide whether to remain in a political party currently hostile to their political beliefs. This paper argues that it is unlikely the GOP will return to the center-right Republicanism of the past half-century, and that supporters of that type of Republicanism should seriously consider attempting to form a new party. Though the odds that such a party will succeed are uncertain, they are better than what is commonly believed.