Why are there so few liberty-oriented societies compared to the number of places with statist governments?
And why does it seem like the size and scope of government keeps expanding around the world?
If I’m feeling optimistic, I’ll disagree with the tone of those questions. There are reasons to be cheerful, after all. the Soviet Empire collapsed and there’s solid data that global economic liberty has increased over the past few decades. And for those who care about evidence, there’s a slam-dunk argument that smaller government means more prosperity.
But if I’m feeling pessimistic, I’ll look at grim numbers suggesting that the burden of government automatically will expand because of demographic change. And I also worry about eroding societal capital, with more and more people thinking it’s okay to live off the government. And let’s not forget “public choice,” the theory that explains why politicians have an incentive to make government bigger.
I go back and forth on whether the glass is half full or half empty, and I’m not sure which side is winning. All I can say for sure is that Americans are getting increasingly polarized as we have big fights about the proper role of government.
Read the rest at danieljmitchell.wordpress.com.
They Geofenced the Pews
The state has discovered that the most efficient way to manage what you believe is to reach you before you know you are being reached. Consider a man walking into a church in Prescott, Arizona on a Sunday morning. He carries a phone, as everyone does. He does not know...
