How conservatives can steal the left's thunder on maternity leave
Support family values, fix a messy regulatory system, and appeal to a valuable constituency? Yes, please!
For a Christian conservative, the issue of paid maternity leave is a frustrating one, on which I keep going back and forth.
Obviously, if you believe in family values, as I do, maternity leave is good. Paid maternity leave is even better. And it's true that the issue sometimes looks like a reminder of conservatives' annoying tendency to privilege corporations over family values when the two conflict.
That being said, the progressive argument for mandatory paid maternity leave also leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
You will almost always hear someone intone that America is the only advanced country that doesn't "have" maternity leave, when, in fact, that's not true: many companies offer paid maternity leave. To conservatives it is frustrating — and even scary — when progressives do not seem to grasp the difference between something existing and something being made mandatory.
The main problem with the idea of mandatory paid maternity leave is basic economics: Maternity leave of any kind is basically a tax on hiring women, paid leave even more so. And more generally, all labor regulations make hiring people more expensive, depressing employment, as is evident in my home country of France.
Progressives typically angrily brush off concerns like these instead of offering solutions. "Don't you see that it's a matter of principle?" they say. But that only reinforces the image conservatives have of progressives who are much too reckless about government intervention and much too ignorant of some basic laws of human behavior, like "when you tax something you will have less of it."
One solution would be to have mandatory paid parental leave for both parents, but in the United States that is not politically feasible. It would just smack a little too much of social engineering.
At the same time, it really does seem like it is uncivilized for most working women in America to be deprived of paid maternity leave.
So, I'm torn.
Thankfully, as the conservative writer Reihan Salam has pointed out, there may be a solution. The writer Abby McCloskey, who has authored an excellent essay in National Affairs about how conservatives can help working women, has provided us with a good way to square this circle.
The government should provide a modest benefit, similar to the unemployment benefit, to women — particularly women who work hourly wage jobs and do not have access to maternity leave. McCloskey prices this at just $5 billion, a modest amount for the federal government, which she believes can be paid for by reducing waste elsewhere.
Politically, this would be a winner for Republicans who are often accused of not caring about working women, a goal they can achieve without overburdening businesses with more taxes and mandates. Plus, by cleaning up similar, but far more wasteful, workplace programs, the GOP can achieve this without increasing government spending.
This seems like an excellent idea that would solve a real problem, appeal to an important constituency, and once again show that smart conservative solutions can often reach what laudable goals progressives have without the downsides. Let's call it a win-win-win.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, First Things, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other places. He lives in Paris with his beloved wife and daughter.
-
'The House under GOP rule has become a hostile workplace'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will North Korea take advantage of Israel-Hamas conflict?
Today's Big Question Pyongyang's ties with Russia are 'growing and dangerous' amid reports it sent weapons to Gaza
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published