Product Description

The major social problems of the United States—deteriorating education, lawlessness and crime, homelessness, the collapse of family values, the crisis in medical care—have been produced by well=intended actions of government. That is easy to document. The difficult task is understanding why government is the problem. The power of special interests arising from the concentrated benefits of most government actions and their dispersed costs is only part of the answer. A more fundamental part is the difference between the self-interest of individuals when they are engaged in the private sector and the self-interest of the same individuals when they are engaged in the government sector. The result is a government system that is no longer controlled by "we, the people." Instead of Lincoln's government "of the people, by the people, and for the people," we now have a government "of the people, by the bureaucrats, for the bureaucrats," including the elected representatives who have become bureaucrats. At the moment, term limits apear to be the reform that promises to be most effective in curbing Leviathan.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42017 in Books
• Published on: 1993-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 18 pages

Customer Reviews

ARGUMENTS AGAINST STRENGHTENING GOVERNMENTS
In this very short piece, Friedman tries to make a brief argument on why government is in fact the main obstacle to development. Given the very limited space (18 pages), it is impossible to make a very strong argument on such a broad topic. Friedman makes some good points, but most of them do not provide supporting evidence, so it leaves a hesitant reader unconvinced. It seems to me that this book is sufficient for good argument over cocktail conversation.

For a more thorough analysis of the same arguments presented in this short book, I would recommend either Capital and Freedom or Free to Choose by Friedman as well.

easy, understandable --- and true !


as valid today (if not even more so) as at the time of first publishing;

GOOD BRISK READ
This essay is a really good way to stimulate theories and ideas, enabling the reader to conduct further research on his or her own.