With the beginning of a new year and a new presidential administration right around the corner, now is the perfect time to reflect back on 2024 and look ahead to 2025.

By most accounts, 2024 was another year of struggle for most Americans. Economically, as the 2024 election results demonstrated, Americans are sick and tired of high prices at the grocery store, gas pump, and just about everywhere else they go these days. Moreover, they are remarkably frustrated with a federal government that has become too big, spends too much money, takes too much of the people’s hard-earned cash, and exceedingly micromanages their lives.

Indeed, the national government needs an overhaul. Fortunately, the incoming Trump administration, with the help of whip-smart advisors like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, seems more than capable of making substantial changes to how the federal government functions. While I hope the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Musk and Ramaswamy, will be successful in reducing the sheer size and scope of the national government, here are five simple resolutions in five policy areas that would pay dividends for generations.

Energy

First and foremost, Trump needs to unleash U.S. energy production like he did during his first term. More affordable and reliable energy means lower prices across the board for Americans. Moreover, ramping up energy production and building pipelines will create thousands of high-paying jobs for hard-working Americans. The United States has abundant reserves of oil, natural gas, and coal; it is time to drill, baby, drill.

Taxes

Although I would love to see the federal government adopt a flat tax in the future, I would settle for at least extending the Trump tax cuts, which will expire at the end of 2025. Despite mainstream media lies that the Trump tax cuts overwhelmingly benefited the rich, the exact opposite is true. What’s more, despite the Congressional Budget Office warning that the Trump tax cuts would result in less overall revenue, the complete opposite occurred. Not only should the Trump tax cuts be made permanent; Congress ought to deliver on Trump’s campaign promise to end taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security.

Education

As a former public-school teacher, it pains me to say that the public school system is fundamentally broken and failing to educate millions of American children, but that is the case. The causes of this collapse are complicated but the ultimate solution is not. The time for universal school choice is now. The Department of Education should be abolished and Congress should pass a bill that makes school choice a right for all families. By injecting competition into the outdated and inefficient public education system, we will equip future generations to thrive in an increasingly competitive, globalized world.

Welfare Reform

In the mid-1990s, President Bill Clinton and congressional Republicans worked together in passing a bill that instituted work requirements for welfare recipients. Although many liberals warned that this was cruel, it actually helped millions of Americans get off the dole and become self-sufficient. There is something to be said for the dignity of having a job. Unfortunately, in the years since Clinton’s welfare reform, the work requirements have been gutted. President-elect Donald Trump understands that having a job brings a sense of purpose to one’s life, which is why I am confident he will do all that he can to ensure that those receiving welfare benefits at least have some skin in the game.

Health Care

Even though the U.S. health care system has numerous serious flaws, it still arguably is the best health care system in the world. However, there is much room for improvement. For starters, the Trump administration should allow Americans to decide what type of health care plan works best for them by eliminating regulations that empower unelected bureaucrats to determine such decisions. For instance, short-term limited duration health care plans might be a great option for some Americans while others might want all the bells and whistles that come with a costlier “Cadillac” health care plan. We should be free to choose the health care plan that works best for us, regardless of what the government thinks.

Happy New Year, America!

Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.

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