Is The Federal Government Too Big?

The most recent Republican Presidential Debates focused in part on tax plans, the military and the right size for government. Candidate Rand Paul suggested the proper size of government was –paraphrased- “so small you can barely see it”. He’s not alone.

Along with the other candidates, much of America thinks the government has gotten too big. Businessman, blogger, columnist & consultant Tim Bryce weighs in on the results of a Rasmussen Study that says 60% of us want Uncle Sam to shrink a bit.

RASMUSSEN: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TOO BIG
by Tim Bryce

- 60% of Americans think their government is too big.
I have been a follower of the Rasmussen Reports for quite some time. In particular, I study their "Right Direction or Wrong Track" poll which reflects how Americans perceive the direction of the country. According to Rasmussen, Americans believe we have been heading in the wrong direction since 2009.
Echoing this sentiment, Rasmussen recently produced another poll, "What America Thinks: Back Off, Feds!" (Sep 29, 2015) whereby they reported, "Most Americans feel the federal government plays too big a role in their lives and think, generally speaking, that there is too much government power and too little individual freedom."

According to the study:
60% - thought the government was Too Big
08% - Too small
22% - About Right

Due to its size, the study showed, "Just 19% of voters trust the government to do the right thing all or most of the time."

This analysis of the size of the government will be greeted as both good and bad news by people in this country. It will be welcomed by those who believe the American people are not smart enough to do what is best and require a massive government to regulate the populace. Those who support a larger government are likely to believe the government should take care of them, just as in a slave state. Fortunately, most Americans see the federal government as too intrusive in their lives and a genuine threat to fundamental liberty.

The fact we believe the federal bureaucracy has gotten too big, means we no longer think it can function productively to serve the citizens of this country, hence the 19% confidence vote as expressed by Rasmussen. Here's the catch though, if we honestly believe the government is too big, why would we balk at cutting the federal budget to shrink it? The reality is, we still want most of the services and entitlements the federal government provides. Until such time as we get serious about cutting the budget, nothing will change and the government will remain massive. Then again, this may be the dependency our Congress and Executive branch want to preserve.

Back in the 1990’s Jack Welch embarked on a program to flatten corporate behemoth General Electric to rid the company of waste and get it to operate on a leaner and more productive level. This was done, in part, by slashing budgets, thereby forcing managers to make hard decisions as to what work and personnel were essential, and which were not. One by one he patiently waded through the many divisions of G.E. and flattened them down to size thereby earning him the nickname "Neutron Jack."

Interestingly, Rasmussen concluded in their study, "Americans don't believe the federal government of today is at all what the Founding Fathers had in mind." No kidding!
I prefer President Calvin Coolidge's interpretation of government when he said:
"I want the people of America to be able to work less for the government and more for themselves. I want them to have the rewards of their own industry. This is the chief meaning of freedom."

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com