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Big government
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Big government is a pejorative term generally used by political conservatives, laissez-faire advocates or libertarians to describe a government which is excessively large or inefficient, or which is inappropriately involved in certain areas of public policy. In this latter sense the term may also be used by political liberals in relation to government policies which attempt to regulate matters considered to be private or personal, such as private sexual behavior.
Commentators who use the term are often concerned about government delivery of public goods, and government involvement in the formulation and implementation of laws and policies concerning civil rights, social justice and social welfare. However, such commentators may also be supportive of capital punishment, stronger executive powers for government, a larger criminal justice system (particularly in terms of the numbers of police and prisons), and a powerful military.
Some populist commentators combine criticism of "big government" with criticism of "big business," casting them as an alliance against the public. Others include "big labor," although this connection would be somewhat contrived in many countries, such as the United States, where organized labor often has distinctly populist goals.
The effects on wealth of big government interference: