Why is BIG government a negative thing?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-03-2005
Why is BIG government a negative thing?
8
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 10:10am

Often in the media and in political debates the concept of big or bigger government is brought up and always with a negative connotation.  I don't think I understand what people who do not want a big government really mean by that.


I want a government that is big enough to maintain a strong military.  I want the government to look out for the best interests of its people...creating safeguards for those who fall on hard times and establishing regulations that business must follow to protect people from unfair business practices.  I want a government that collects taxes and uses it wisely for infrastructure, education, etc.  I want the government to help assure that all of our citizens have access to health care in some way


Does the desire for 'less' government mean a desire for less of those things?  My sense, from what I hear in the media, is that those who frown on the idea of big government feel that those things (with the possible exception of the military) will work themselves out and that government should not have a hand in them, but it seems to me that is what happened with the current "mortgage crisis" and savings and loan problems in the past, etc...


It seems to me that leaving things to take care of themselves means letting the unscrupulous 'big' business run over the 'little guy', something that perhaps a 'bigger' government could protect us from.


Am I really misreading what is perceived as big government?  Why is BIG government looked at so negatively?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2004
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 10:23am

The federal government manages almost nothing well or efficiently.


Social Security was supposed to protect us for retirement. . .the politicians have spent the $ for other things and the program is going broke.


Medicaid and medicare were supposed to ensure health care for the poor and elderly. . .the programs are laden with fraud, paperwork and inefficiency.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2008
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 10:32am

Big government is a negative thing for a number of reasons.


First, "big" anything tends to become ineffecient.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2001
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 10:38am

Big Brother is watching you. "1984"

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-03-2008
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 10:38am
Governmrnt has become bigger than it's ever been in THIS ADMINISTRATION
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2007
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 10:43am

Sopal

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2003
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 12:29pm
And that is why a lot of Republicans are displeased with Bush.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2006
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 4:57pm

Big government is not a negative thing. My sister an BIL worked for the federal gov't for many years and always complained about the bureaucracy. They even switched sides and voted Republican in 2000, and BIL also did in 2004. Finally my sister came to her senses and sees that big gov't is better than big business, especially better than the insurance industry.

While they were working for the BIG gov't, DH and I worked in corporations. The big spending in corporations is worse than that in big gov't. The excesses of the officers and directors in a corporation is ridiculous, and the hourly workers get screwed. A corporation's top priority is to maximize shareholder wealth. In theory, one would think that accountability to customers and employees would enter into the equation, but we see that in practice they do not, at least not in a big way. That's why so many jobs end up going overseas.

What's happening to corporate pension funds and retiree health care benefits? Employers no longer pick up relocation expenses like they did 10 years ago. What's happening to CEO compensation vs. that of the hourly workers? Small businesses cheat on income taxes, putting personal vehicles on the company's books to get a tax deduction and put family members on the payroll when they hardly help in the business at all. Those who think they're paying high taxes because of big government, need to think about how high the prices are on everything they purchase and how those costs are rising while workers are being terminated or receiving less compensation, when benefits are factored in.

In any big organization the lack of oversight can get to be a problem, and the government is no exception. In my opinion, however, corporations are no better and are often worse because they can hide things better than the government. There are too many anti-government people out there pointing out any hint of fraud or mismanagement. Corporations are not subject to the same, continual scrutiny by as many people. Even their auditors are unethical and cover stuff up so that THEY don't lose the corporations as clients. We've seen far too many instances of corporate fraud the past decade for anyone to be complaining about big government.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Sun, 09-14-2008 - 7:37pm

Big government is inefficient, overbearing and intrusive.