The American principles that made our economy great will be needed to make us great again after COVID-19

Four short weeks ago America was at what felt like an economic pinnacle. Our economy was firing on more cylinders than we even knew we had. New businesses opened their doors from coast to coast, and more people held jobs than ever before. With all this came a level of human prosperity that many thought was unachievable.

It seems like COVID-19 could be the name for a time machine too, instead of just a terrifying illness. It feels like this all started four years ago, not four weeks, doesn’t it? Somehow in that short timeframe the nasty virus from afar landed on our shores, and along with its physical destruction it brought the greatest country in the world a strong dose of health and financial catastrophe.

The economic impacts of the virus are being seen immediately, with staggering unemployment numbers. The severity of the situation probably does warrant something this conservative, and most like him, despise on its face—a bunch of bills full of a bunch of government spending.

But a grin-and-bear-it bailout isn’t the only policy being enacted. This crisis has made it possible for good policies to see the light of day, with both federal and state commonsense reforms including expanding telehealth, fixing burdensome occupational licensing, and relaxing other government regulations. We are also seeing great American companies step up to the plate all over our country, helping their workers and helping to produce needed equipment and supplies. It is inspiring to see what capitalism can do to help respond to this threat to our country.

Part of what made our economic fall so swift and alarming was the heights from which the slide took place. And while leaders attempt to soften our landing with available tools like extending and expanding unemployment, pausing work requirements in welfare, and giving states extra Medicaid funds, we cannot—we must not—forget how we got to those economic heights in the first place.

President Trump and governors around the country had reformed welfare, moving millions off the sidelines of the economy and back into jobs. They enacted policies that removed barriers to work and gave people more options to purchase their own health insurance. They made work pay better than ever, allowing millions more Americans to pursue the American dream. And millions more were doing just that, as evidenced by record-low unemployment and record-high wages.

Our nation’s strong innovative mindset and principles helped drive businesses to be better and stronger, and our entrepreneurs to take chances to push us forward, and it all added up to a nation brimming with success across the board. A rising tide that lifted all boats.

Even with this tremendous success in building the states and country that led to our record prosperity, just a few short weeks ago America still needed to fill 7 million open jobs. There were too many people, able to work, who were still on the sidelines. Each of those people would be necessary to build the economic growth that our country was capable of achieving.

In a post-coronavirus world, the principles that brought us so much success will be even more critical than they were before. When we recover and rebuild—which we will—our states and nation will need every woman and man who is able and capable to get up off the mat and fight together in this latest great American comeback story.

Recovery from this crisis won’t only be economic—it’ll also be personal. People will need connection, mental and physical health needs will need to be met, and social capital built. This crisis reinforced the importance of preserving our safety nets for the truly needy, but also the need for a path forward. Government checks and welfare programs help with the bills and offer temporary relief for the millions of workers and small business owners who are hurting, but they can also keep people trapped in isolation and dependency. People can stay home to keep from spreading the virus, but when we win that fight, we can’t have everyone stay home and keep from getting a paycheck.

When the microbes settle, and when we test, and treat, and help, and save, and make COVID-19 a story of our past, our country needs to reembrace the principles upon which we were founded—the ones that made America great, and the ones that will make us great again.

Sam Adolphsen is policy director for the Foundation for Government Accountability.