Patrick Garry column
Patrick Garry
Patrick Garry is a professor of law at the University of South Dakota, and Director of the Hagemann Center for Legal & Public Policy Research.

He has published ten books, including Wrestling With God: The Court's Tortuous Treatment of Religion and An Entrenched Legacy: How the New Deal Constitutional Revolution Continues to Shape the Role of the Supreme Court (Penn State University Press).

He is a frequent speaker on conservative legal and political issues, and has delivered invited lectures at more than 60 universities. His popular audience essays and articles have appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines, including the Chicago Tribune, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Washington Times, Cincinnati Post, Indianapolis News, Commonweal, and the Omaha World-Herald.

He has also been interviewed on dozens of radio and television programs.


The power of gratitude
Patrick Garry
July 6, 2023

Whenever I have acted out of fear or anger, I have made mistakes—sometimes serious mistakes. Whenever I have embraced gratitude as a guiding principle of . . .


Under progressives, America has become poor in ways that Ukraine is rich
Patrick Garry
April 14, 2022

American liberals effusively praise the courage and perseverance of Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion. Ironically, however, the entire thrust of . . .


The progressive left’s corrosion of self-government
Patrick Garry
March 28, 2022

If one listens closely enough, one hears the faint but steady hum of envy buzzing through American society. The envy is directed toward Ukraine, a country . . .


The myth of a mainstream media
Patrick Garry
February 9, 2022

The media does not enjoy an exalted position in public opinion. Polls continue to show an eroding confidence in the American media. Without question, the . . .


Totalitarianism and the face mask war
Patrick Garry
February 4, 2022

The great face mask conflict has been raging for nearly two years. It shows no signs of weakening or disappearing. Instead, it has become the most intense . . .


A mistrust brewing for a half-century
Patrick Garry
January 29, 2022

The divisions in American society keep building, despite all the talk of tolerance and unity. Divisions between the genders, as well as between the gendered . . .


The danger to democracy comes from the Left
Patrick Garry
January 14, 2022

Voter identification and election integrity laws, according to Democrats like Kamala Harris, pose the gravest danger to American democracy. Not only are . . .


The Nativity’s real lesson on immigration
Patrick Garry
January 8, 2022

We never tire of hearing the Nativity story about the birth of Christ. It is perhaps the most beloved of all biblical stories. And its power and inspiration . . .


Dictators against dissent
Patrick Garry
December 28, 2021

The political Left in America has its roots in dissent. It arose as a dissent against the prevailing norms, ideology, and institutions in American society.  . . .


Where do conservatives go from here?
Patrick Garry
January 18, 2021

That is a question all conservatives seem to be asking. With the most socialist-sounding Democratic Party in history controlling the presidency and both houses . . .


Protecting diversity and minority rights: The electoral college
Patrick Garry
October 12, 2020

No serious argument can be made today against the importance of diversity, the value of facilitating diversity, and the need to protect the rights of the . . .


Government can erode the civic institutions needed by the poor
Patrick Garry
May 10, 2016

As reflected by the dramatic growth of government into new spheres of social and economic life during periods of "progressive" governance, progressives believe . . .


Conservatism best achieves the ideals of Pope Francis
Patrick Garry
September 30, 2015

Pope Francis came to America as the head of the Catholic Church, the vicar of Christ, and a committed advocate for the poor. And he delivered to Congress a . . .


Conservatism as defender of the cultural supports of the common person
Patrick Garry
May 8, 2015

Conservatism stands for something much larger than public policy prescriptions, government structure, and individual rights. It stands for a uniquely American . . .


An immigration solution
Patrick Garry
April 30, 2015

America is a country of immigrants, but that immigration historically occurred within an enforced national policy on immigration. The arrival of immigrants to . . .


Conservatism and civil society
Patrick Garry
April 20, 2015

The Obama presidency has demonstrated a fundamental difference between modern liberalism and conservatism. As reflected by Obama's dramatic extension of . . .


Yet another area of unjustified government takeover: the Internet
Patrick Garry
April 2, 2015

An article I wrote twenty years ago described the Internet as America's next frontier. And for the past twenty years, it has been a wide-open, innovative, . . .


A conservative tax policy for the common person
Patrick Garry
March 25, 2015

For the past six years, conservatives have been on the defensive, opposing various aspects of the Obama agenda. But now that Republicans control both houses of . . .


Education as the key to opportunity and upward mobility
Patrick Garry
March 20, 2015

It is generally agreed that the most important social mobility function a government can perform – or promote – is education. In an open society, . . .


A conservative alternative to Obamacare
Patrick Garry
February 25, 2015

The conservative opposition to Obamacare is well documented, as are the problems with the law and the unpopularity of it. With each passing day, the American . . .


Exposing the myth: bigger government not an ally of the average person--Part II: Obamacare
Patrick Garry
January 23, 2015

Perhaps the clearest distinction between the liberal and conservative political philosophies lies in their respective focus on government as the essential . . .


Exposing the myth: bigger government not an ally of the average person--Part I
Patrick Garry
January 19, 2015

The argument used by liberals since the New Deal is that a bigger federal government is a necessary aid to the poor and the average American. It is as if . . .


The 'right deal': the conservative anti-poverty approach
Patrick Garry
January 1, 2015

Job creation at every level. The ability of every parent to choose the school his or her child attends. A greater mobility for those at the bottom rungs of . . .


Only conservatism can defend the middle class
Patrick Garry
December 15, 2014

A wide array of issues and controversies dominate the political terrain, but none is as important as the health and future of the middle class. A strong middle . . .


Why conservatism can best address the real problems surrounding income inequality
Patrick Garry
December 2, 2014

Throughout the Obama era, the issue of income inequality has been a central tool of political strategizing. Liberals have used the issue as a sword against . . .


A conservative economic approach
Patrick Garry
November 20, 2014

The traditional conservative economic approach has often been a reaction to an intrusive and suffocating liberal approach. It has advocated less government . . .


A proactive, positive conservatism
Patrick Garry
November 3, 2014

With the 2014 election season coming to an end, conservatives must transition from the campaigning to the governance mode. Throughout the campaign season, a . . .


The future political focus of religious conservatives?
Patrick Garry
April 4, 2014

Religion continues to take a beating in the political arena. In the wake of Governor Brewer's recent veto of the Arizona law providing legal protections to . . .


Refocusing American conservatism
Patrick Garry
February 28, 2014

Modern conservatism may be in a process of transformation. Ever since the 2012 elections, more and more conservatives have been calling for a revival of the . . .


The Obamacare opportunity for conservatism to champion the poor and working American
Patrick Garry
January 24, 2014

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is historic in several ways. It marks an unprecedented expansion of an over-indebted federal government into every aspect of a . . .


Conservatism's future message
Patrick Garry
January 2, 2013

There has been no shortage of analysis, advice, and accusations among conservatives over the 2012 presidential election. Much of that analysis and advice . . .


The argument conservatives must learn to make
Patrick Garry
October 25, 2012

In other elections, with an incumbent in the position now occupied by President Obama, the challenger would be polling much better than Governor Romney is.  . . .


Constitutionalism--not government--as the foundation of civil society
Patrick Garry
September 15, 2012

Our electronic media culture supports an ever-shortening attention span. It focuses all attention on the immediate, the here and now. The past seems to . . .


Big government as the defining political issue of the age
Patrick Garry
July 30, 2012

The term "big government" gets volleyed continually over the net of political dialogue. It generally relates to debates over the public budget and deficit, but . . .


The false promises of modern liberalism
Patrick Garry
June 1, 2012

There are two promises that modern liberalism asserts — two images about itself that it propagates. First, that it strives to fulfill the communal bonds . . .


The Democrats' big-government message: not good news for the poor and middle class
Patrick Garry
April 16, 2012

In his emerging re-election campaign, President Obama's message is becoming clear and simple: be afraid, be very afraid of those heartless conservatives. What . . .


The Obama administration's assault on liberty
Patrick Garry
April 7, 2012

The healthcare law, promoted and pushed by the Obama administration, was recently litigated before the Supreme Court. Because the constitutionality of this law . . .


The liberal pursuit of a redistributionist agenda: it's not the poor who are benefitting
Patrick Garry
March 5, 2012

The Obama administration has been preaching the language of social redistribution ever since it assumed leadership of the federal government. Indeed, President . . .


The revolt against limited government
Patrick Garry
February 27, 2012

The framers' belief in limited government pervades the entire constitutional structure. It is the continuous theme of The Federalist Papers. Until the New . . .


A president/constitutional scholar who disregards the Constitution
Patrick Garry
January 17, 2012

Politics in contemporary America does not operate in a realm of wide consensus, and there are few restraints on the conflict that so often erupts in the . . .


Political realities and the conservative agenda
Patrick Garry
December 16, 2011

Regarding the current political debate over government tax and spending issues, there are several points on which all conservatives agree. First, the federal . . .


Conservatism as the creed of working America
Patrick Garry
December 4, 2011

Despite the abysmal record of President Obama and the struggling economy, polls show that middle and working-class Americans still view the Democratic Party . . .


The conservative case for a tax compromise
Patrick Garry
October 22, 2011

The issue currently dominating the political spotlight is the tax-on-the-wealthy issue. It has become the pillar of President Obama's re-election campaign. It . . .


A non-budgetary reason for reigning in government: the Fannie Mae example
Patrick Garry
July 9, 2011

With federal budget talks at a tense and near urgent stage, perhaps it is important to remember that spending levels and budget deficits are not the only . . .


Recent court decisions reveal a double-standard on freedom
Patrick Garry
July 3, 2011

In two decisions announced this week, the Supreme Court's liberal wing shows a curious and seemingly inconsistent stance toward First Amendment freedoms. In . . .


The drift toward an undemocratic politics
Patrick Garry
June 16, 2011

We live in a time of dire predictions and warnings. The newspapers and television talk shows teem with prognostications of doom. There is no shortage of . . .


The meaning of big government
Patrick Garry
June 14, 2011

Ever since the 2010 elections, with the prominent role of the Tea Party, there has been much discussion about big, centralized government. Conservatives, . . .


Getting the conservative message across
Patrick Garry
May 31, 2011

Republicans seem to be on the defensive in the debate over Medicare and the federal budget deficit. They are being branded extremists willing and eager to shut . . .


Beware of hypocrisy: it can sabotage a success story
Patrick Garry
May 13, 2011

The advice of my grandmother, whom no one would call a spontaneous optimist, was: Be careful of success, because there's always a failure somewhere in it.  . . .


Ryan's revolution
Patrick Garry
April 16, 2011

There are three incontrovertible facts concerning the federal budget and the government health care entitlement programs. First, each is in a crisis state. . . .


An hypocrisy on civil discourse
Patrick Garry
April 5, 2011

Short memories come from short attention spans, which in our hyper-active media age can be quite short. And it is short memories that perpetuate hypocrisy.  . . .


Transcending politics: the need for leadership
Patrick Garry
March 19, 2011

Even in this often bitterly divisive partisan atmosphere, there is one value that transcends all partisan division. Notwithstanding all the ideological . . .


A struggle for democracy
Patrick Garry
February 23, 2011

A great struggle is taking place in Wisconsin. And it is not just over the projected $3.6 billion state budget deficit; it is over the integrity and . . .


A shameful exploitation
Patrick Garry
January 11, 2011

There is only one thing that at this time should be said about the shootings in Arizona. It is a horrible act of evil, in which the lives of 6 innocent people . . .


A conservative disappointment over the new tax bill
Patrick Garry
December 18, 2010

Most Republican members of Congress are celebrating the tax bill signed last Friday by President Obama. This bill provides a two-year extension for the Bush . . .


Focusing the conservative message
Patrick Garry
November 9, 2010

One thing is clear from last week's elections: the vote in 2008 was about changing the party and people running the government; it was not about changing . . .


An election about America
Patrick Garry
October 20, 2010

This may end up being a very special election. Not just a momentous or dramatic one. But an election about how special America is. A momentous election . . .


The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
 

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