Government Keeps Growing, Despite Claims To the Contrary

Government employees rise and fall as a percentage of the workforce, but they cost ever-more

Government workers at all levels are taking a larger share of all compensation and getting paid more than in the past.

Yet, an editor at a national magazine claims government is the smallest since the 1960s.

"We now have our smallest government in 45 years," said Jordan Weissmann, an associate editor at The Atlantic.

Weissman based his opinions on an analysis done by The Hamilton Project, a public policy offshoot of The Brookings Institution.

But Weissmann's claim is based on the number of government jobs as a percent of the total population. It deserves a closer look.