Advocates of placing more and more of our incomes and lives under the control of government sometimes say that those of us who favor cutting down the size and burden of government are selfish. By contrast, proposing a significant role for government is a sign of altruism and charity. In this Christmas season, it’s important to remember just what “charity” is. Charity is when you […]
Political philosophy
Who does government really–and inevitably–work for?
A while ago,I attended a panel discussion on the life of John Brandl, held at the University of Minnesota and cosponsored by the Minnesota Free Market Institute. Among the several points I could mention from that 90-minute event, I’ll stick with one. During the discussion, one of the panelists said something like this: “We need to make government works for the people who need it […]
Federalism for life
While King Banaian offered up a review of the economic scholarship on economic growth and tax rates, my first response to the “Minnesotans aren’t paying enough in taxes” report was more philosophical. Just because you can afford to buy more government, is it the right thing to do? A healthy society has checks and balances among various institutions, just as it has checks and balances within […]
Risk as a political wedge
Bad stuff happens in life, some of it predictable, much of it not. Trade-offs are inevitable (guns versus butter, you know). So is risk. Lately I’ve been wondering if the most accurate way of describing the political divisions in the country is to ask some questions about risk. Take retirement planning, for example. If you prepare by investing in a broad portfolio of bonds and […]
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