The poisoned chalice of government

Today, we as citizens of the advanced economies of the West inhabit a curious paradox. It is so familiar to us that we rarely give it a second thought. When we talk about our government, we usually do that in critical terms pointing out its failures and how politicians and bureaucrats cannot be trusted and make our lives difficult. At the same time, we enjoy the many services that the government provides, such as well-maintained roads, health care and education for all, income support for those who are less fortunate, legal protection against discrimination, and so on. On the one hand we are exposed to a steady stream of disparaging statements by economists, pundits and even elected officials about the intrinsic inefficiency of the state, its encroachment upon personal liberty and its constraining of the entrepreneurial spirit. In the United States any form of government intervention other than defence or policing is dismissed as ‘socialism’, often preceded by the adjective ‘European style’. It is little wonder, then, that in survey after survey the public displays little affection for the officials and institutions of the state. This observation is borne out by reams of research in political science that demonstrates the public's profound distrust of politics and the institutions of government (Pew Research Center, 2019; see also EC, 2020). On the other hand, in every country a large constituency exists that values the collective provisions of the state, such as public health care, free education, accessible public transport, and public housing (Judt, 2010, 6). Even in socialism averse America a large majority of the public expresses support for health care that is free of the point of delivery, social security and a transition to a green society (Pew Research Center, 2020; KFF, 2020). Thus, while the public trusts the state in delivering large scale social provisions, it doubts its competence and has a hard time envisioning it as a force for the good.

This extended moral impasse about the proper place of government is not without consequences. For one thing, it has robbed us of a vocabulary for an impartial discussion of the proper tasks and achievements of government. In a domain so infected with reproach and denunciation, no statement about the state survives the sustained censure of its critics – particularly when it carries the authority of political and economic elites.