The Growth of Government

Republicans hate big government, they hate it so much they want the government completely out of individual's lives - unless of course they are banning gay marriage, flag burning, or abortions.  Big government stymies the private sector and encroaches on the freedoms of Americans, like for example the freedom to marry the person you love, burn a flag, or have an abortion.

Most importantly however, big government means fewer private sector jobs and anemic economic growth. If only we could get rid of big government - embodied of course by Obama - and free the American economy of the shackles that bind it to mediocrity.

That's the line Republicans feed us anyhow, but hold up.  What about this report? Not only have government jobs DISAPPEARED under Obama, they have disappeared at a record-setting pace.  Move over big government, Obama is here.  Admittedly, most of the cuts happened at the state level and are due to loss of revenues from the recession rather than from federal policy.  Still, if nothing else, the report is evidence that Republican claims and fears of a insatiable government beast are - like many things Republicans say - patently false.

Many of the Republican claims about the dangers of government intervention in the economy are true if exaggerated. Central economic planning does not work, and the private sector is much better than the public sector at producing efficiently.  If America were actually in danger of booming a redistributive, centrally-planned economy, there would be reason for Americans to fear.  Of course, America is not even close to being on the path to becoming said economy despite Republican claims about the President, who, if anything, is a moderate Republican himself.

Nonetheless, the myths socialism and the unprecedented and scary growth of government refuse to go away, and grow at a faster pace than the government itself.  Needless to say, this report on the loss of government jobs will do nothing to assuage the fears of those who buy into the myth, nor will it do anything to halt the rants of those who perpetuate it.  However, the factual observer will note that government expansion is not exactly through the roof.

This does not excuse the fact that there are still numerous aspects of the government that need reforming, and hopefully responsible Republicans (like the middle class, an endangered species) will spearhead the charge.  But next time you are confronted with ominous predictions about how the rapid expansion of the federal leviathan under Obama is going to derail the country, you may want to remember the record-setting loss of government jobs that has occurred in the last three years.