Alabama GOP Resolutions Raise Concerns About Factional Power

Measures on drag shows, closed primaries, and data centers highlight tensions between liberty and political control.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Alabama Republican Party recently adopted a series of resolutions that would restrict drag shows in public facilities, close Republican primaries to independent voters, and increase oversight of large data centers operating in the state. While the measures appear unrelated, they reveal deeper questions about how political factions use power and the potential for government overreach in the name of protecting the public good.

Why it matters

The Founders of the United States wrestled with the problem of political factions, warning that they could easily abuse their power and infringe on individual liberties. The Alabama GOP resolutions illustrate this tension, as the party seeks to expand its control over cultural expression, political participation, and economic development, raising concerns about the preservation of constitutional principles.

The details

The resolution targeting drag shows frames the issue as protecting morality and preventing obscene conduct, even though existing laws already prohibit public lewdness and the distribution of harmful material to minors. The resolution calling for a closed Republican primary election system would effectively disenfranchise independent voters in a state where the GOP primary often determines the ultimate winner. The resolution addressing data centers raises legitimate concerns about resource use and economic incentives, but contrasts with the party's desire to restrict cultural expression.

  • The Alabama Republican Party adopted the resolutions at its recent meeting in Hoover on March 4, 2026.

The players

Alabama Republican Party

The state's dominant political party, which has adopted a series of resolutions that raise concerns about the balance between political power and individual liberty.

James Madison

One of the Founders of the United States, who warned about the dangers of political factions and the importance of limiting government power to preserve liberty.

Alexis de Tocqueville

A French political thinker who warned that democratic societies face a particular danger when majority opinion becomes dominant, potentially narrowing the space for independent thought and dissent.

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What’s next

The Alabama GOP's resolutions are likely to face legal challenges and public scrutiny, as the party's efforts to expand its control over cultural expression, political participation, and economic development are weighed against constitutional principles of individual liberty and limited government.

The takeaway

The Alabama GOP resolutions highlight the ongoing tension between political factions and the Founders' vision of a government that restrains the abuse of power and preserves the rights of all citizens, even when those rights protect expression or activities that some may find objectionable. As the country grapples with the role of government in an era of deep political divisions, the lessons of the Founders remain as relevant as ever.