Which is Better?: Small Government / Big Government – American Intelligence Test #5

Once again we have an advocacy group chanting the ever popular refrain: “Smaller government is better” and sung to its counterpoint melody: “Big government is bad”. So this seems an appropriate time to take another perspective view on the state of intelligence in America. With another outbreak of news stories of some recent Tea Party activities in Nevada, I have concluded that there has to be a relevant theme for a test. And so there is, it’s: what’s the appropriate size for government? Now this question is American-centric, the reasons and justifications for the correct size of government is not a universal rule. Therefore, the correct answer should not and cannot be applied to the governmental systems of others; whether democratic or not.

So I will follow my usual format. I will present a handful of questions (which is usually five; if I put in a sixth, consider it poetic license), and in some instances commentary to place a particular context for the questions. After the questions section, I will provide my answers to these questions. As before, your score is your responsibility to assess. And a willingness to deceive yourself as to the correctness of your answers or beliefs, is just another measure of the actual intelligence level that is being measured. To paraphrase Lincoln:

Some of us can fool ourselves all of the time, and all of us can fool ourselves some of the time, but all of us can not fool ourselves all of the time.

Prepare yourself as the opportunity to fail is at hand. Oh, and going back to previous questions to change your answer is deserving of an incorrect score on the previous question(s). Surely you have anticipated the first question.

Question 1: Is smaller government superior to larger government?

Yes No

Context: Let’s consider the size of government in this context as the number of departments, agencies, centers, commissions, services, councils, courts, administrations, offices, committees, boards, task forces, programs, panels, foundations, endowments, institutes, corps, commands, authorities, and bureaus that exist to provide the functions that the government has legislated to provide. So the size of government would be the sum total of all services and tasks that are performed for and provided to the citizenry.

Question 2: Is smaller government superior to larger government?
[Didn’t expect this one did you?

Note: This is not the question, so answering it will not count as correct regardless.]

Yes No

Context: Reset your thought process, for this question consider the size of government to be the number of individuals who directly work for one of the Government’s entities as a civil-servant or a contractor to a Government entity. This would include all branches of government. It does not include us mere tax-payers that do not fit as a member of the above set.

Question 3: Is smaller government better than larger government?
[Hey, it’s a theme; deal with it.]

Context: To this question the size of government should be equated to the amount of taxes that you pay. Size is thus related to the extent to which the government is directly involved in the economy.

Yes No

Question 4: Who is responsible for the size of government being to big?

[A little variety is the spice of life!]
Context: If this isn’t obvious then who do you hold to be the most “at fault” (i.e., to blame) for the government being to big?

A. Republicans
B. Democrats
C. Neither
D. Both
E. Voters
F. Lobbyist
G. Political Parties
H. None of the above
I.   A, B, E, F, & G

Question 5: Is the ‘size of government’ even a question that informs or addresses the issues that a society is struggling to deal with, or is it just another ‘slogan’ issue that is used to distract the attention and thought processes from anything else that might expose the actual nature, cause and responsible source of the problems of a society?

A. Yes, it is a useful question
B. No, it is a distraction from substance
C. It depends on the issue
D. It’s all that politicians have to lead with, they lack solutions

The Critical Question X: Do you object to the size of government (being to big) in every area that they operate in today?

Context: Is the size of government universally to big or is it only to big in some areas and not big enough in others?

A. Yes
B. To big only in some areas
C. No, not to big anywhere
D. It is not size that explains the problems with our government

Ding! Times up. The test is done, and you can now assess whether you scored high, low or in the middle. For anyone with an interest, here are my answers.

1: No    2: No     3: No     4: I     5: D (half for B)     X: D

I think it is what the government does and does not do that constitutes the value or the lack of value that one should ascribe to the government. It is how effectively they deliver on the roles that we and/or our representative assign to them that matters. Size is an issue only as an artifact of their incompetency or their abuse of position or power; and for the most part even here it’s not how big or little they are; but how far they are removed from the American principles that government officials, public officials and civil servants should aspire to that makes them

If you haven’t figured it out, I am not interested in a non-factor in the inadequacies of the government that we have collectively crafted to waste our energies, money and values. The problems you have today with government are not the result of the last year, or even the last ten years; they are the result of acting without being responsible, and of expecting to get things without consequences or the sacrifices that go hand in hand with the desired selfish demand. Yes, I hold the citizens responsible for the situation we are in. As for politicians, well since they don’t know what to actually do they resort to prostituting themselves to whatever group(s) they think will keep them in office.