Barefaced Politics: Provocative Policymaking Strategies

Ordinarily, policymakers seek to avoid conflicts, especially conflicts they expect to lose, so indirect policy designs and evasive communications strategies are strategically advantageous for lawmakers fearing pushback. Yet some Republican state lawmakers have crafted programs and regulations that impinge upon rights directly and they are surprisingly open about what they are doing. This chapter examines the origins and consequences of this provocative barefaced politics: open defiance of the constitution, through both words and deeds. What is the calculus that impels and enables such reckless behavior? In this chapter I advance five non-exclusive explanations: overturning legal precedent; Trumpist communication styles; rallying supporters and donors; making other restrictions seem moderate; and personal religious conviction.