Steven Greenhut on Why Big Government Is Not Your Friend

Advocates for bigger government believe that government is the most efficient and humane provider of goods and services. The presidential election and ongoing debates in California illustrate this frightening phenomenon. Voters chose a candidate who has an undying faith in the power of government and, as Steven Greenhut observes, even the Republican candidate failed to clearly explain the most obvious lesson—why free enterprise is superior to government coercion. As for the Golden State, what do you call a bunch of lawmakers who seethe with hostility toward private firms and do little more than hatch plans to create new government programs?