The Myth of "Big Government"

I’d like to speak to the use of the phrase “big government.” It is a phrase that has been misused, overused, and too general. It is used primarily by Republicans in accusing Democrats of spending capital at the federal level; this is not a phrase that Democrats usually aim at Republicans. It is also a phrase that is aimed primarily at domestic initiatives, which Democrats tend to advocate more often. However, Republicans don’t see the huge amounts of money in defense spending or attempts to outlaw abortion—also at the federal level—as “big government.” The irony is that an issue is only considered “big government” if it is both at the federal level and the opposite political party’s issue. Though Democrats tend not use this phrase as often to criticize Republicans, there is nevertheless an implication by both parties of excessive interference in public life by the federal government. 

Capital spent on domestic public issues (health care, education, transportation, poverty) tend to be viewed and referred to by Republicans as “big government,” while national defense initiatives or outlawing abortion at the federal level tend to be viewed and referred to by Republicans as simply necessary and moral, regardless of the cost. The general Republican support of the war in Iraq, for example, was not considered by Republicans as “big government” but was at the federal level and the cost has been enormous. The issue of criminalizing abortion at the federal level is a Republican issue as well, but is not considered “big government” by the same party; it is also egregiously inconsistent and deplorable that while murder is condemned in any situation by society, the murder of abortion doctors to save unborn babies has been slow to be condemned by Republicans. Curiously, laws for reforming healthcare, transportation, education, the arts, poverty, etc. at the federal level are domestic issues that tend to be labeled by Republicans as “big government” but probably cost less, collectively, than any single war in history. 

Let me clarify my understanding of the role of the federal government, beyond the definitions of the three branches. The job of the federal government is to assist the public with large, national issues that the states would be inadequate to handle.  The federal government is bigger than state governments and that is its purpose: to handle issues that are both too large to be handled by the state governments, and to insure that all states abide by larger issues, such as the laws in the Constitution and its Amendments. Not every issue that is contentious and sensitive should be handled by the states, such as gay marriage.  Like health care, marriage is a human right of public equality, and laws should be enacted and protected for them at the federal level, not the state level. In addition, since initiatives at the federal level, regardless of the issue, are of larger scope than the state level, they are going to cost all taxpayers money, not just taxpayers of individual states. This should be understood and accepted. The cost will also likely be more at the federal level. But this should also be accepted. However, the concern should not simply be that the federal government is spending more money, but rather for what purpose the money is being spent. Of course, debates will and should always arise as to what and how any money is spent, whether at the state or the federal level. But the focus of the use of capital on either level should be on the specifics of the benefit to the general public, not on just whether government is big or small. That is too narrow a focus and ignores the functions of both levels of government. “Big government” is also a “catch phrase” which is a phrase designed to capture the attention of the individual or group immediately and often negatively; a phrase designed to inflame rather than illuminate.

So since the function of the federal government is to handle the larger issues of a nation, derisively labeling issues proposed by and laws enacted by the federal government as “big” is a misunderstanding, over-simplistic, and ignoring/denying the purpose of the federal government.