This is what Napoléon did, and he also created all institutions and national universities.
Small and big... All this is buzz words

This post was edited by Saucisson6000 on May 3 2020 06:37pm

I think the best term to use is "lean government". Lean government is a goal to strive for imo. Many libertarians and right-wingers, however, are talking about "small government" to disguise that they actually mean "skinny- or anorexic government". And that type of government/state is neither a good thing, nor does it come anywhere close to majority appeal.

For decades, at least since Reagan, the Republican donor class has used the party brand and pandering to socially conservative values in order to push through an agenda of tax cuts, spending cuts and deregulation which could never stand on its own. I like to call it the "Koch brothers agenda".

/randomcomment

This post was edited by Black XistenZ on May 3 2020 07:59pm

Most Republicans since Reagan have largely grown government.(including Reagan)
They have increased spending, taxes, and regulations while giving lip service to small government and liberty.

Cutting taxes, cutting out of control spending and reducing regulations are generally great positions.

This post was edited by cambovenzi on May 3 2020 08:23pm

Cutting ouf of control spending and unnecessary or ineffective regulations is a good thing. Cutting important spending and regulations, not so much. Similarly, cutting taxes might not be a good idea when it worsens the deficit and/or adds disproportionally to the national debt (that is, the growth in GDP which is spurred by the tax cuts falls short of the caused growth in national debt).

Generally speaking, demographic change has to be kept in mind when discussing all of this. In an aging, increasingly geriatric society, a higher level of spending and redistribution is inevitable.

This post was edited by Black XistenZ on May 3 2020 08:29pm