Policy Matters, Do You?
By Brent Regan
How much influence do you, the everyday American, have over the policies shaping our nation? If you think your voice drives change in Washington, brace yourself. A 2014 study by Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page, analyzing 1,779 policy issues, delivers a gut punch: when economic elites or organized groups like corporate lobbies want something different, the average citizen’s opinion has near-zero impact. This elite dominance plays out across the country and right here in Idaho, where we’ve battled out-of-state meddling in Proposition 1, struggled for illegal labor reform against Big Ag and the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry (IACI), and faced judges appointed through a process that ignores our values.
Nationally, the gap between what Americans want and what we get is undeniable. A November 2024 Rasmussen Reports poll found 60% of Americans, including 72% of Republicans, believe we have enough talent for white-collar jobs and don’t need more H-1B visa workers, yet tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft secure thousands of visas annually, arguing skill shortages. A 2017 Gallup poll revealed 67% want big corporations to close tax loopholes, but lobbies like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce protect these breaks, defying calls for fairness. On immigration, a 2023 Rasmussen poll showed 65% favor tougher border enforcement and E-Verify to ensure legal hiring, yet corporate interests craving cheap labor stall reform. Gilens and Page’s study explains why: when the top 1% or groups like corporate PACs have their own plans, they win, leaving most Americans sidelined in a system that feels like an oligarchy.
In Idaho, this betrayal cuts deep. Proposition 1, the 2024 ballot initiative to replace closed primaries with a jungle primary and ranked-choice voting, was a textbook elite power grab. Sold as empowering independents, it aimed to dilute conservative influence. Campaign finance reports show Idahoans for Open Primaries raised $5.5 million, with $4.4 million from out-of-state big money groups. Other states – Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon – and Washington, D.C., faced similar RCV votes in 2024, fueled by the same national PACs, indicating a coordinated elite push to reshape elections. Former establishment figures like Butch Otter backed Prop 1, but Secure Idaho’s grassroots warriors fought back. A Boise State University survey showed only 34% supported ranked-choice voting. Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Idaho GOP Chair Dorothy Moon rallied voters, and we crushed Prop 1. This victory proves Idahoans can resist elite overreach when united, but it’s a rare win in an oftentimes rigged game.
Our struggle for illegal labor reform is less triumphant. In deep red Idaho, most demand tough immigration enforcement to stop under-the-table hiring of undocumented workers and protect local jobs. The University of Idaho’s McClure Center estimated in 2021 that 35,000 unauthorized immigrants work in agriculture, construction, and hospitality. Yet, efforts to tighten hiring restrictions consistently fail. Why? Big Ag and IACI, representing corporate interests, wield outsized influence. The Idaho Dairymen’s Association, noting 90% of dairy workers are foreign-born, many undocumented, fights reforms to preserve cheap labor. This mirrors the national pattern Gilens and Page describe: corporate elites override public will, leaving Idaho’s working families competing with illegal labor in a state that should reflect our values.
The judicial appointment process is a shameful elite-driven farce, exemplified by the controversial appointment of Regina McCrea as a Kootenai County district judge in July 2025. Selected through the secretive Missouri Plan, McCrea, a former library trustee who refused to remove materials harmful to children from children’s library sections and was endorsed by the Kootenai County Democrats for her trustee race, is a glaring mismatch for our conservative county, especially in overseeing family court cases. Her appointment fuels outrage over a system where the Idaho Judicial Council’s closed-door nominations prioritize elite agendas over Idaho’s values. Conservatives across the state demand reforms to make judicial selection transparent and accountable, echoing Gilens and Page: elite processes silence Idahoans, leaving us with judges who betray our communities.
Prop 1’s defeat shows our strength, thanks to Secure Idaho’s campaign and the No on Prop 1 coalition. Our local legislators, recommended by the KCRCC, stand for the little guy, fighting elite Big Ag interests to stem illegal immigration and protect our workers. The KCRCC’s rigorous vetting ensures we elect true conservatives who battle these corporate giants. But we must keep pushing. Demand legislators pass and enforce commonsense immigration laws, defying Big Ag and IACI. Push for a transparent judicial appointment process reflecting Idaho’s values, not elite agendas. Gilens and Page’s study is a rallying cry: elites dominate unless we amplify our voices. We have allies. Check out Secure Idaho’s mission – defending our sovereignty through education and advocacy – to help in the fight.
Policy matters and the best way to change policy is to change the people we elect to implement policy and it is the mission of the KCRCC is to enhance freedom and prosperity by promoting fiscally and socially conservative candidates who will implement the Idaho Republican Party Platform as policy. Help us demand policies that put Idahoans first, from borders to benches. Join the fight by supporting our KCRCC recommended candidates.
It’s just common sense.