Government as the Problem: Essays in Public Policy Vol. 39

The United States is facing major social problems such as deteriorating education, lawlessness and crime, homelessness, the collapse of family values, and the crisis in medical care. Surprisingly, these issues have been the unintended consequences of well-intentioned government actions. While this fact is well-documented, the real mystery lies in why government itself has become the problem.

The influence of special interests, which benefit from government actions while the costs are dispersed among the general population, certainly plays a role. However, a deeper issue lies in the differing self-interest of individuals in the private sector versus the government sector. This fundamental difference has resulted in a government that is no longer truly accountable to the people it serves.

Instead of being a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people," as Lincoln envisioned, we now have a government that caters to the interests of bureaucrats and elected officials who have essentially become bureaucrats themselves. It is clear that the current system is in dire need of reform.

Term limits have emerged as a potential solution to regain control over the ever-expanding government. By limiting the amount of time any one individual can spend in power, we can hope to curb the influence of the bureaucratic machine. It is believed that implementing term limits could be the most effective way to reign in this out-of-control government and restore power to the people.

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