The Independent Institute: Beyond Politics- 'Roots of Government Failure: William Shugart Interviews Randy T. Simmons'

Source:The Independent Institute- Randy T. Simmons, talking about his book about big government.

"William Shughart interviews Economist Randy T. Simmons, author of "Beyond Politics: The Roots of Government Failure."

To order copies of Simmons' book "Beyond Politics: The Roots of Government Failure," visit:The Independent Institute." 

From The Independent Institute

Government tends to fail and become inefficient when it tries to do too much. When it tries to get involved in areas that it tends not to be very efficient at. Like regulating how people live their own lives and trying to protect people from themselves. Which is what Christian-Conservatives and Theocrats believe in and claim that national security and morality is paramount over everything else. And that we need some type of moral code to govern how people can live their own lives. Even if what they are doing isn't hurting anyone, including themselves. Just because they don't like what people are doing with their lives. 

Or when government tries to get involved into the economy which would be another example of government trying to do too much. Which is what Socialists want to see whether they are looking for government to nationalize private enterprise or not.

Or Social-Democrats want to create a welfare state and have government provide services or leave government to provide services that are traditionally handled by the private sector, because they don't believe the private sector can be trusted to provide these services, because they have a profit motive. 

Which is why I'm a Liberal Democrat, because I believe in individual liberty which is what liberalism is about. Not how Conservatives and Libertarians have stereotyped it making it look like democratic socialism. And why I believe in limited government, to limit what government can do. To allow the people to be as free and self-sufficient as possible in living their own lives and only be dependent on government to provide the services that they can't provide for themselves.

This is why I believe we need a national debate about what the role of Government, especially the Federal Government is. Because that government effects everyone in America and what government's role should be in America. 

And why I believe we should have a National Constitutional Convention to figure these things out. What the U.S. Constitution says and means, what the Federal Government is doing today, is what they are doing constitutional or not. And things that they are doing that are constitutional, should they being doing them at all. Or can they be best handled better in the private sector and then limit the Federal Government to the things that they should be doing that are constitutional and eliminate or cut their role in the things that they shouldn't be doing. Whether their role there is constitutional or not and perhaps even we'll find some things. 

Even though I wouldn't put any money on that, that they aren't doing currently that they should be doing . And find a way that they can best perform that role in the most fiscally responsible way possible.

Me personally I believe the role for the Federal Government should be very limited, not as limited as Libertarians, but very limited. And then dramatically cut back its roles in the things that I believe it has too much of a role today. And I would limit the Federal Government to, national security, foreign policy, Federal currency, law enforcement and regulation. 

Not even social welfare except for regulating it. I would turn our safety net and I mean all of it, over to the States and then let them set up their own social insurance systems. But then have them convert those programs into semi-private non-profit self-financed community services. And if we had a national debate like this, then we could figure out what the role of government is in America. 

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