Palmetto Playbook: Strategies to march South Carolina’s economy down the field

November 19, 2020

Oran P. Smith, Ph.D

Senior Fellow

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The election is over. South Carolina voters demanded a commonsense, conservative agenda at the ballot box. Now, the hard work of governing—making their mandate a reality—begins.

Palmetto Promise Institute is at the ready to equip our leaders, shape debates, and power the reforms South Carolina needs to succeed with this bold agenda of over 60 innovative policy solutions.

Drawing on South Carolina’s love of all things football, the Palmetto Playbook is a manual to energize and expand South Carolina’s economy, with a special eye to lessons learned in the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. The “plays” that PPI recommends executing include reforms in Tax & Spending, Education, Healthcare, Energy, and Quality of Lifeall foundational issues to create hope and opportunity for every citizen of our great Palmetto State.

If you’re looking for cookie-cutter plays or “Hail Mary” schemes, this won’t be the book for you. Every one of the ideas presented in the following pages are tailored to specific, longstanding needs in our Palmetto State, needs which have been brought into laser focus by the COVID crisis.

Accomplishing every idea in this Playbook won’t be easy. Leadership, strategy, commitment, and courage will be essential. But these ideas are essential if we are going to position South Carolina to take home the national title: best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family.

Yes, COVID-19 has hit us hard, but the South Carolina spirit is strong: “while we breathe, we hope.” But we mustn’t forget the second phrase on our state seal, which calls us to be “prepared in mind and resources.”

Focusing our minds and marshalling our resources wisely requires a strategic plan.

The Palmetto Playbook is such a plan: down, set, hike!

Download this report here.