The concept of small government has long been a cornerstone of the Republican party’s advertised values. In a state as rural as Iowa, those sentiments often resonate well. However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of a small government has been used as more of an excuse than an ideology.  

In the early months of the pandemic, many states across the union implemented mask mandates as an emergency public health measure. But as cases began to rise in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds put up a fierce fight against any such steps. Not only did she refuse to put a statewide mandate in place, but she also notified counties and cities that they did not have the power to put any in place as well. 

While resisting a statewide mandate is defensible with a small government angle, denying lower levels of government the power to be responsible is the exact opposite of a small government. The central thought of small governments is that they will be able to better govern their constituents because they have tighter connections to them. This idea is killed when the state swoops in and denies them their power to do just that. 

This trend is currently continuing. As the fall term of school began and thousands of children who could not be vaccinated returned to enclosed rooms, Reynolds banned school districts from implementing mask mandates. The governor denied school boards, which are elected bodies, the ability to make their own decisions.

Small government is not a concept that Kim Reynolds truly believes in. It’s a weapon for her to get her way and avoid her responsibilities. In her eyes, when action is needed, it will not happen as that would be government overreach. Yet when lower level, more intimate forms of government make the responsible choices and serve the constituents that elected them, it’s time for the power of the state to step in.