“The belief that government, whatever its size, can be shielded from political pressures is a myth. Some believers in small government seem genuinely to believe that it is possible to run the state into an impartial umpire for establishing and enforcing a framework of laws whose main function will be to enable the market to function efficiently and fairly. But this cannot be done: the scope of the market and the meanings of ‘efficiency’ and ‘equity’ are contested issues, not to be read off from an economics textbook. If other interests get weaker, market interests get stronger. If government is remodeled in the image of the market, a green light is given to market interests. There are certainly dangers of excessive calls on the public purse from too much interest group activity, but the remedy lies in a better democratic process, not the domination of one strong interest.”
From “Rolling Back the Market” by Peter Self
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