Professor Bo Rothstein is criticizing a suggested policy by the Swedish Center party to work towards a "small government." Rothstein, professor in political science at the university of Gothenburg, declares in an article in the Swedish daily Expressen, that a large government is best suited to give people the circumstances to achieve happiness.
He declares that research support this view, such as the fact that many third world countries have small governments. That might be, but to go from that, to – “see, small government means poverty”, is a conclusion that the research does not support. It seems to me that in this discussion between small and big government somewhere there should be a reservation for the result of simply “bad governments.”
In other areas of life bad results are usually attributed to lack of competence rather than size primarily.
Also Prof. Rothstein suitably avoids bringing up the soviet experiment with its government totally subjugated by its Leviathan complex. When discussing government size and success and happiness, I think the total failure and collapse of the soviet giant should be very relevant part of any balanced discussion. The United States, having built an economic empire of unprecedented historic magnitude, have done it with a rather small government with explicit regional differences and freedoms. It is interesting to note that the United States at its present state, has the biggest government it has ever had, and it has the greatest economical problems it has ever had. I don’t draw any lengthy conclusions from that. It could be seen though as an indication of a reality opposing the socialist dogmas that are broadcasted from Swedish universities.
Prof. Rothstein also seems to equate or confuse building wealth with sustaining wealth. These are two concepts that are very different. It’s a mistake to infer that it's the current state of affairs that have created our present standard of living, when any logical analysis makes it overtly clear, that the source for the present wealth lies in the predominating attitudes and the political systems of the past. Which incidentally almost universally were comprised of smaller governments than today.
