If I had been elected president in 1948, history would be vastly different. I believe we would have stemmed the growth of Big Government, which had begun with the New Deal and culminated with the Great Society.

Strom Thurmond’s quote reflects his belief that had he been elected president in 1948, the course of American history would have been significantly different. He argues that his leadership would have prevented the expansion of Big Government, a term he uses to describe the growth of federal authority and intervention in the economy and society. Thurmond particularly attributes this expansion to the New Deal under Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Society programs under Lyndon B. Johnson, both of which, in his view, increased government involvement in the lives of citizens.

Thurmond, a staunch conservative and long-time Senator from South Carolina, was a vocal critic of federal intervention and the expansion of social welfare programs. His quote highlights his opposition to policies that he believed infringed on individual freedoms and promoted an overreaching government. Thurmond’s opposition to the New Deal and Great Society is rooted in his belief that such programs created a dependency on the state, rather than fostering self-reliance and personal responsibility.

The origin of the quote stems from Thurmond's presidential campaign in 1948, during which he ran as a Dixiecrat, advocating for states' rights and opposing the civil rights measures supported by the Democratic Party at the time. Although he did not win the presidency, Thurmond’s political philosophy remained influential in shaping the conservative agenda throughout his career. His statement reflects the values of limited government, economic freedom, and resistance to policies he saw as socialist in nature.

In essence, Thurmond’s quote illustrates his belief in the necessity of a smaller government and his conviction that the New Deal and Great Society programs represented an overreach of federal power. He argues that had he been elected, his presidency would have steered the country away from these expansive government policies, favoring instead a return to more traditional and conservative principles of governance.