Dependent on D.C.: The Rise of Federal Control over the Lives of Ordinary Americans - Softcover

Twight, Charlotte A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1403961468 ISBN 13: 9781403961464

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 2003

Synopsis

Dependent on D.C. raises serious concerns about the future of liberty in America and proves beyond a doubt that the growth of dependence on government in the past seventy years has not been accidental, that its creation has been bipartisan, and that it is

About this title

About the Author

Charlotte A. Twight holds a J.D. and Ph.D. in economics. She is a professor of economics at Boise State University and a member of the Washington State Bar Association. She previously served as an Executive Editor of the Washington Law Review and programmed computers for the U.S. Navy.

From Publishers Weekly

Americans have been seduced into surrendering their autonomy by an ever-growing federal government, contends Twight, economics professor at Boise State University. That refrain is hardly new, of course. Ronald Reagan used it to great effect in his early presidential campaigns. Twight offers a plausible explanation about why politicians like Reagan, who promise to "shrink" big government, find it so hard to do once in power. In her view, entrenched bureaucrats and politicians willfully manipulate "political transaction costs" (or the costs of collective action) in an effort to influence "people's perceptions of the costs and benefits of governmental activities." Stripped of its academic window dressing, Twight's thesis is straightforward: government insiders actively promote their own public policy initiatives. In her view, this promotion often takes the form of outright misrepresentation of costs and benefits to the individual citizen. Reviewing the history of the social security program, she explains how the Roosevelt administration won over an initially hostile public by inaccurately portraying the program as akin to "insurance," which it decidedly is not. The more citizens come to rely upon government programs, the less likely they are to agitate for reform, even when such reform is needed. In addition to social security, Twight discusses the federal government's growing involvement in health care, education, taxation and data collection. Her take on virtually all these programs is predictably dour: they fail to deliver the social benefits that their proponents promise while robbing Americans of autonomy. She also implies that those who promote big government do so largely out of self-interest. In short, Twight is so deeply distrustful of federal power that she invests no merit in the contrary position. Still, she offers a spirited argument that will engage readers who follow Washington politics.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1403961468
• ISBN 13: 9781403961464
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 432