Yet that last chapter also showcases one of the book’s main failings. Thing 21′s title is about the benefits of big government, but its content is only about the welfare state. I’m happy to grant that social safety nets can be beneficial for job mobility, while still strongly believing that increased regulation and state-sector employment have the exact opposite effect.
I agree with this. Jason Brennan draws a useful distinction between the “social insurance state”, which seeks to provide various goods and services, and the “administrative state”, which seeks to regulate the economy. Since these two functions of the state are clearly very different, it makes little sense to frame the discussion as one where one should be either for or against “big government”.
I agree with this. Jason Brennan draws a useful distinction between the “social insurance state”, which seeks to provide various goods and services, and the “administrative state”, which seeks to regulate the economy. Since these two functions of the state are clearly very different, it makes little sense to frame the discussion as one where one should be either for or against “big government”.