Matt Palumbo

The Conscience of a Young Conservative Matt Palumbo

Publisher Marketing: Is Piers Morgan correct that the UK is so much less violent than the US due to gun control? Does socialized medicine make us live longer for cheaper? Is the middle class shrinking? Does Warren Buffet really pay a lower tax rate than his secretary? Is income inequality harmful to societal well-being? Any conservative who studies politics has likely encountered any of the following claims. The Conscience of a Young Conservative is a research heavy book divided into five chapters (and drawing on over 900 footnotes) dealing with gun politics, health care reform, economic policy, economic myths, and "intellectuals and capitalism." The first chapter begins with a historical analysis of the Second Amendment by looking into the writings of the Founding Fathers and various Supreme Court decisions. The other parts of the chapter analyze the follies of pro-gun control arguments. Chapter two begins with a critique of the supposed superiority of socialized medicine by analyzing statistics regarding lifespan, infant mortality, hospital wait times, medical technology, and cancer survival rates. Near the middle of the chapter, current problems with the American system are recognized, and the end of the chapter focuses on health care reform by offering creative market-based solutions. Chapter three discusses the proper role of government in the economy by looking at issues relating to economic freedom, education, taxation, income inequality, regulation, and spending. The chapter ends with a plan to balance the federal budget. Chapter four aims to dispel common economic myths that often go unchallenged. Among the myths debunked are the alleged gap in male and female pay, the supposed decline in wages since the 1970s, various claims concerning unions, the declining state of the middle class, and stimulus spending. Chapter five critiques the criticisms of capitalism as articulated by today's intellectuals. Among those critiqued are Naomi Klein, Elizabeth Warren, Nick Hanauer, Paul Krugman, and Richard Wilkinson.