By Rep. David Leavitt
What if Donald Trump had never been elected? Would America’s political landscape be any different, or would the same entrenched powers still control the levers of government? Would we have seen a true shift in political priorities, or would the status quo have rolled on uninterrupted, guided by the same bureaucratic elite that has dictated policy for decades?
This question isn’t just about the presidency—it applies just as much to our own state. What if people like Christy Zito, Priscilla Giddings, Ron Nate, Heather Scott, or Dorothy Moon had never stepped into politics? Would Idaho’s legislature be any different today, or would the same ruling class still be calling the shots, unchecked?
The political pendulum swings back and forth, but is it real change or just an illusion—window dressing for the same entrenched system? Would we, as a state and a nation, be in a fundamentally different place, or would we still be locked into the same bureaucratic churn that puts government interests above the people it claims to serve?
Every few years, we are told that this election, this movement, this politician is the one who will change everything. But what happens when they get into office? They face a system designed to resist transformation. Favored interests, bureaucracy, and career politicians have built a machine that doesn’t stop just because a few disruptors get inside.
But perhaps the most frustrating reality of all is that many of those in power don’t even pretend to be servants of the people anymore. The entrenched leadership—both at the state and national level—act more like kings than representatives, ruling through backroom deals, punishing those who challenge them, and deciding the future of the state without ever consulting the citizens who put them there.
They control committee assignments, access to resources, and even which bills see the light of day. They dictate who rises and who falls—not based on merit or the will of the people, but on obedience to the political hierarchy they’ve spent years cementing. They don’t lead; they rule.
And yet, we are told to believe that the next election will be different—that change is just one vote away. But how many times have we heard that before?
I didn’t step into politics to play the game. I stepped in because I believed things could be different—because I still believe they should be different. But the deeper I go, the more I realize how much the system is designed to prevent real change.
Imagine if every legislator fought for the people instead of their own political survival. What kind of policies would we have?
- Grocery Tax Repealed, Not Bookkeeping for Breadcrumbs – Instead of pretending to offer relief through complicated tax rebates and bureaucratic maneuvers, Idahoans would see real financial relief at the checkout line.
- The People Keep Their Own Money, Not Government Redistribution – Instead of funneling hard-earned tax dollars through government agencies that pick winners and losers, money would stay in the hands of the citizens who earned it. Government exists to protect freedoms, not to redistribute wealth as it sees fit.
- Fiscal Restraint, Not a Ballooning Budget – In the last five years alone, Idaho’s budget has exploded by 55%, fueled by a flood of federal dollars with all the stink and strings attached. Instead of rejecting federal overreach, our government has willingly expanded its size and influence, binding Idaho to Washington, D.C.’s reckless spending and control. Real leaders would reject these dependencies and prioritize responsible budgeting.
- No Corporate Welfare – Businesses would thrive based on merit, not government handouts disguised as “economic development.”
- Real School Choice – Parents, not bureaucrats, would have full control over their children’s education.
- Healthcare Reform, Not The Proposed Medicaid Expansion Lite – Medicaid wouldn’t be a bottomless pit of spending but instead reformed into a system that works without bankrupting the state.
- Workforce Development by Business, Not Government – Idaho Launch and other taxpayer-funded job programs wouldn’t exist. Instead, businesses would train and invest in workers the way free markets are supposed to function.
- Agencies That Serve, Not Control – Departments that function more like activist groups would be pushed into the nonprofit sector, where they belong.
It’s no longer about policy; it’s about personality. Government is no longer a battle of ideas—it’s a battle of influence. It’s not about principles or policy, but about who aligns with the right power brokers and who plays the game best.It has become a hierarchy rather than a Constitutional Republic, where those at the top dictate the rules—not based on what serves the people, but on what consolidates their own authority.
The status quo isn’t dysfunctional—it’s by design. The entrenched leadership has no incentive to change things. They have built power structures that ensure they stay in control, regardless of who is elected to sit under them. It is no longer about representing constituents or debating policy; it’s about maintaining the political order. Those who conform are rewarded, and those who challenge the system are cast out.
They stockpile their coffers with favored interest dollars funneled into PACs, using them not to serve the people, but to fortify their own power and crush opposition. They push “gotcha!” legislation—not to improve governance, but to set political traps, fund smear campaigns, and force dissenters into submission or exile They weaponize the law, not as a tool for justice, but as a sword to strike down those who refuse to kneel. It’s not governance—it’s power preservation. And while the ruling class plays its games, the people they were elected to serve are left without true representation—governed not by debate or principle, but by intimidation and political theater.
Elected positions are no longer respected—not because the individuals holding them are unworthy, but because the entrenched leadership disregards the will of the voters who put them there. When legislators are punished for standing by their convictions, when their voices are silenced because they refuse to bow to the political ruling class, it’s not just an attack on them—it’s an irreverence for the very citizens who elected them. It is a quiet, calculated way of telling the people that their choices don’t matter, that their votes are nothing more than suggestions for those in power to ignore at their convenience.
And when real conservatives step up to challenge the machine, they are met with resistance—not from the other side, but from their own leadership and those within their own party. They are stripped of positions, sidelined, and told to “fall in line.” The message is clear: fight for the people, and you’ll be punished. Obey, and you’ll be rewarded.
This is not representation. This is not government by the people. This is not leadership.
This is feudalism.
So where do we go from here? If the system is so resistant to change, is there even a way forward? Some would say that we’re trapped in an endless cycle of political theater, but I reject that fatalism. The real question isn’t “what if”—it’s “what’s next?”
The status quo only prevails when people allow it. The pendulum doesn’t have to swing between two sides of the same broken system—it can be shattered entirely. But only if enough people demand it. Only if citizens refuse to be ruled by political elites and instead reclaim their rightful place as the ultimate authority in government. Only if we restore the Constitutional Republic our founders envisioned—where power is not hoarded by a select few, but entrusted to the people, where leadership is not about control, but about service.
The fight isn’t just about stopping bad policies; it’s about restoring a government that is truly of, by, and for the people.
So, to my fellow legislators, I ask: Who are you really fighting for, and who do you really serve? And why did you give up so easily on the things you once stood for?
And to the people of Idaho, I ask: Will you settle for crumbs while the ruling class feasts? Will you stand and watch as they tighten their grip, growing their power at your expense? Or will you demand the full restoration of our Constitutional Republic—where power belongs to the people, not the political elite and their favored interests?
Originally published at David’s Substack 3/9/25
About David Leavitt
David Leavitt is an Idaho State Representative. Born and raised in the Magic Valley, he served twelve years in the US Army, including three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
