When Good Government Meant Big Government

When Good Government Meant Big Government PDF Author: Jesse Tarbert
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231548486
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
The years after World War I have often been seen as an era when Republican presidents and business leaders brought the growth of government in the United States to a sudden and emphatic halt. In When Good Government Meant Big Government, the historian Jesse Tarbert inverts the traditional story by revealing a forgotten effort by business-allied reformers to expand federal power—and how that effort was foiled by Southern Democrats and their political allies. Tarbert traces how a loose-knit coalition of corporate lawyers, bankers, executives, genteel reformers, and philanthropists emerged as the leading proponents of central control and national authority in government during the 1910s and 1920s. Motivated by principles of “good government” and using large national corporations as a model, these elite reformers sought to transform the federal government’s ineffectual executive branch into a modern organization with the capacity to solve national problems. They achieved some success during the presidency of Warren G. Harding, but the elite reformers’ support for federal antilynching legislation confirmed the worries of white Southerners who feared that federal power would pose a threat to white supremacy. Working with others who shared their preference for local control of public administration, Southern Democrats led a backlash that blocked enactment of the elite reformers’ broader vision for a responsive and responsible national government. Offering a novel perspective on politics and policy in the years before the New Deal, this book sheds new light on the roots of the modern American state and uncovers a crucial episode in the long history of racist and antigovernment forces in American life.

When Good Government Meant Big Government

When Good Government Meant Big Government PDF Author: Jesse Tarbert
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231548486
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 163

Get Book Here

Book Description
The years after World War I have often been seen as an era when Republican presidents and business leaders brought the growth of government in the United States to a sudden and emphatic halt. In When Good Government Meant Big Government, the historian Jesse Tarbert inverts the traditional story by revealing a forgotten effort by business-allied reformers to expand federal power—and how that effort was foiled by Southern Democrats and their political allies. Tarbert traces how a loose-knit coalition of corporate lawyers, bankers, executives, genteel reformers, and philanthropists emerged as the leading proponents of central control and national authority in government during the 1910s and 1920s. Motivated by principles of “good government” and using large national corporations as a model, these elite reformers sought to transform the federal government’s ineffectual executive branch into a modern organization with the capacity to solve national problems. They achieved some success during the presidency of Warren G. Harding, but the elite reformers’ support for federal antilynching legislation confirmed the worries of white Southerners who feared that federal power would pose a threat to white supremacy. Working with others who shared their preference for local control of public administration, Southern Democrats led a backlash that blocked enactment of the elite reformers’ broader vision for a responsive and responsible national government. Offering a novel perspective on politics and policy in the years before the New Deal, this book sheds new light on the roots of the modern American state and uncovers a crucial episode in the long history of racist and antigovernment forces in American life.

The Case for Big Government

The Case for Big Government PDF Author: Jeff Madrick
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400834805
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Political conservatives have long believed that the best government is a small government. But if this were true, noted economist Jeff Madrick argues, the nation would not be experiencing stagnant wages, rising health care costs, increasing unemployment, and concentrations of wealth for a narrow elite. In this perceptive and eye-opening book, Madrick proves that an engaged government--a big government of high taxes and wise regulations--is necessary for the social and economic answers that Americans desperately need in changing times. He shows that the big governments of past eras fostered greatness and prosperity, while weak, laissez-faire governments marked periods of corruption and exploitation. The Case for Big Government considers whether the government can adjust its current policies and set the country right. Madrick explains why politics and economics should go hand in hand; why America benefits when the government actively nourishes economic growth; and why America must reject free market orthodoxy and adopt ambitious government-centered programs. He looks critically at today's politicians--at Republicans seeking to revive nineteenth-century principles, and at Democrats who are abandoning the pioneering efforts of the Great Society. Madrick paints a devastating portrait of the nation's declining social opportunities and how the economy has failed its workers. He looks critically at today's politicians and demonstrates that the government must correct itself to address these serious issues. A practical call to arms, The Case for Big Government asks for innovation, experimentation, and a willingness to fail. The book sets aside ideology and proposes bold steps to ensure the nation's vitality.

Government Is Good

Government Is Good PDF Author: Douglas J. Amy
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 1457506580
Category : Democracy
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
Why a book defending government? Because for decades, right-wing forces in this country have engaged in a relentless and irresponsible campaign of vicious government bashing. Conservatives and libertarians have demonized government, attacked basic safety net programs like Medicare, and undermined vital regulations that protect consumers, investors, workers, and the environment. This book takes on this anti-government movement and shows that most of its criticisms of this institution are highly exaggerated, misleading, or just plain wrong. In reality, American government - despite its flaws - plays a valuable and indispensable role in promoting the public good. Most government programs are working well and are actually improving the lives of Americans in innumerable ways. Democratic government is a vital tool for making our world a better place; and if we want an America that is prosperous, healthy, secure, well-educated, just, compassionate, and unpolluted, we need a strong, active, and well-funded public sector. Part I: Why Government is Good. The section of the book describes how government acts as a force for good in society. One chapter chronicles a day in the life of an average middle-class American and identifies the myriad ways that government programs improve our lives. Other chapters describe the forgotten achievements of government; how government is the only way to effectively promote public values like justice and equality; and how a free market economy would be impossible without the elaborate legal and regulatory infrastructure provided by government. Part II: The War on Government. This section of the book chronicles the unrelenting assault on government being waged by conservative forces in this country. Chapters describe how cuts in social programs and rollbacks of regulations have harmed the health, safety, and welfare of millions of Americans and how these assaults have taken place on many fronts - in Congress, the administrative branch, and the federal courts, as well as on the state and local level. Also addressed: how the right's radical anti-government agenda is out of touch with the views and priorities of most Americans, and what the real truth is about government deficits. Part III: How to Revitalize Democracy and Government. There are, in fact, some problems with American government, and we need to address these if we are to restore Americans' faith in this institution. One of the main problems with our government is that it is not accountable and responsive enough to the public. Moneyed special interests too often win out over the public interest. Chapters in this section describe this problem and how we can fix it. There are several reforms - including public financing of elections - that could help our government live up to its democratic ideals. The final chapter discusses strategies for building a pro-government coalition in this country.

Ending Big Government

Ending Big Government PDF Author: Michael Dahlen
Publisher: Hillcrest Publishing Group
ISBN: 1634138503
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 379

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Book Description
Statism denotes any system of big government, a government that gains power at the expense of individual freedom, a government that uses its power to redistribute wealth and regulate the economy. Laissez-faire capitalism, by contrast, is the system of limited government, the system of economic and political freedom. It is a system that has created more wealth and lifted more people out of poverty than any other system. Yet it is relentlessly demonized. We are told that the free market is impractical--prone to crises, depressions, and coercive monopolies. Michael Dahlen dispels these and many other myths. He shows that a laissez-faire capitalist system is not only practical; he shows that it is moral, as it is the only system that recognizes each individual's inalienable right to his own life. A provocative weave of history, philosophy, and political economy, Ending Big Government: The Essential Case for Capitalism and Freedom, shows that capitalism is incontestably superior to statism.

Leviathan on the Right

Leviathan on the Right PDF Author: Michael D. Tanner
Publisher: Cato Institute
ISBN: 1933995289
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
For conservatives generally and the Republican Party in particular, 2006 was a time of intense soul-searching. For the first time in a dozen years, Republicans lost control of Congress. As a result, they are being forced to reexamine who they are and what they stand for. It’s about time. After all, more than a decade has passed since President Bill Clinton announced in his State of the Union address that “the era of big government is over.” Yet, since then, government has grown far bigger and far more intrusive. It spends more, regulates us more, and reaches far more into our daily lives than it did before the Republican Revolution. Behind this alarming trend stands the rise of a new brand of conservatism—one that believes big government can be used for conservative ends. It is a conservatism that ridicules F. A. Hayek and Barry Goldwater while embracing Teddy and even Franklin Roosevelt. It has more in common with Ted Kennedy than with Ronald Reagan. Leviathan on the Right provides an incisive analysis of the roots and core beliefs of big-government conservatism and the major currents that fueled its growth—neoconservatism, the Religious Right, supply-side economics, national greatness conservatism, and Newt Gingrich–style technophilia—and offers a detailed critique of its policies on a wide range of issues. The book contains a clear warning that, unless conservatives return to their small-government roots, the electoral defeat of 2006 is just the beginning.

Rollback

Rollback PDF Author: Thomas E. Woods
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1596981725
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
Thought the last financial crisis was scary? Just wait…it’s going to get worse America is on the brink of financial collapse. Decades of political overpromising and underfunding have created a wave of debt that could swamp our already feeble economy. And the politicians’ favorite tricks—raising taxes, borrowing from foreign governments, and printing more money—will only make it worse. Only one thing might save us: Roll back the government. In Rollback: Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse, Thomas E. Woods, Jr. explains that we may still have a chance to avert total economic disaster—but only by completely changing our understanding of government. With bracing candor, he dissects just how the political class has nearly destroyed America’s economy. In Rollback, you’ll learn: Why practically everything you’ve been taught about government and the economy is wrong—the product of liberal pro–government propaganda How the Federal Reserve helps create crises and slows recovery Why big business is no ally in rolling back government and actually wants and needs big government intervention in the marketplace How current policies, if unchecked, will lead to the collapse of the dollar How government policies have driven the skyrocketing costs of health care Why retirement will be a pipe dream for the next generation How the coming collapse can be turned to your advantage—and the advantage of all who believe in liberty and limited government Thanks to decades of politicians playing kick the can down the road, we and our children are facing economic Armageddon. But this crisis could help us see government for what it really is—an institution that has seized our wealth and taught our children to honor it as the source of all progress. The good news is it’s not too late to roll back government—and the opportunity to do so is now.

Buck Wild

Buck Wild PDF Author: Stephen Slivinski
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 1418551937
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
“Makes a compelling case that the best protection for individual rights (and wallets) in America rests in divided government.” —The Denver Post This is a scathing look at how the Republican Party, once the paragon of fiscal conservativism, has embraced Big Government and become even more irresponsible with taxpayer money than the Democrats. Rather than delivering an authoritative history of the GOP over the past twenty-five years, Buck Wild seeks to discover how the party of Reagan—once guided by the promise of cutting government back to its core constitutional functions—eventually lost its head. “If you fell into a coma in November of 1994 and woke up yesterday, a lot of things might surprise you. But nothing would baffle you more than what has happened to the Republican Party. Stephen Slivinski can explain. Buck Wild tells a painful story, but it’s honest and true and well worth reading.” —Tucker Carlson, host of FOX News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight “Buck Wild does more than reveal what’s wrong with the Republicans. It reveals what’s wrong with us, the voters who put them in office. Politicians are foxes. But we insist on believing that some are guard dogs. We elect them to watch the hen house, and on the first Wednesday in November there’s nothing left but feathers.” —P. J. O’Rourke, #1 New York Times–bestselling author “During the course of Stephen Slivinski’s superbly researched chronicle, we meet some true conservative heroes from whom we can draw inspiration for the future.” —James P. Pinkerton, White House domestic policy aide under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush

Freedom Manifesto

Freedom Manifesto PDF Author: Steve Forbes
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 0307951596
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 611

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Book Description
From Steve Forbes, the iconic editor in chief of Forbes Media, and Elizabeth Ames coauthors of How Capitalism Will Save Us—comes a new way of thinking about the role of government and the morality of free markets. Americans today are at a turning point. Are we a coun­try founded on the values of freedom and limited gov­ernment, as envisioned by the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? Or do we want to become a European-style socialist democ­racy? What best serves the public good—freedom or Big Government? In Freedom Manifesto, Forbes and Ames offer a new twist on this historic debate. Today’s bloated and bureau­cratic government, they argue, is anything but a force for compassion. Instead of assuring fairness, it promotes favoritism. Instead of furthering opportunity, it stifles economic growth. Instead of unleashing innovation and material abundance, its regulations and price controls create rigidity and scarcity. Not only are Big Govern­ment’s inefficient and ever-expanding bureaucracies ill-equipped to deliver on their promises—they are often guilty of the very greed, excess, and corruption routinely ascribed to the private sector. The only way to a truly fair and moral society, the authors say, is through economic freedom—free people and free markets. Throughout history, open markets have helped the poor and everyone else by unleashing unprecedented creativity, generating wealth, and raising living standards. Promoting trust, generosity, and de­mocracy, economic freedom has been a more powerful force for individual rights, self-determination—and hu­manity—than any government bureaucracy. Freedom Manifesto captures the spirit of a new movement that is questioning old ideas about the mo­rality of government and markets for the first time since the Great Depression. Going beyond the familiar explanations and sound bites, the authors provide a fully developed framework of “first principles” for a true understanding of the real moral and ethical distinctions between more and less government. This timely and provocative book shows why free markets and liberty are the only way to a better future and a fair and humane society.

How Big Should Our Government Be?

How Big Should Our Government Be? PDF Author: Jon Bakija
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520962818
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book Description
The size of government is arguably the most controversial discussion in United States politics, and this issue won't fade from prominence any time soon. There must surely be a tipping point beyond which more government taxing and spending harms the economy, but where is that point? In this accessible book, best-selling authors Jeff Madrick, Jon Bakija, Lane Kenworthy, and Peter Lindert try to answer whether our government can grow any larger and examine how we can optimize growth and fair distribution.

Feds in the Classroom

Feds in the Classroom PDF Author: Neal P. McCluskey
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780742548589
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The federal government is deeply entrenched in American public education and virtually dictates what can be taught to students. Why? At what cost? And what are the benefits to public school students? To public schools? The author challenges the constitutionality of the feds in the classroom and reminds readers that public education has, until recently, been the function of state and local governments.