"Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Ever since Ronald Reagan uttered those words nearly 30 years ago, America's political and economic elite have contented that the government is an inherently incompetent and malign force in society. This view has evolved to the point that our nation's political discourse is now dominated by refrains related to crushing tax burdens, bureaucratic inefficiency and government infringements upon personal liberty. As popular as this ideology may be in contemporary America, though, it obscures the fact that many of the institutions that have defined America's success - its strong middle class, its universities and its civil liberties - are direct consequences of government action. Furthermore, by conveying that the government is an albatross, America's leaders have suppressed the civic interest and public spirit of many citizens. Thus, anti-government ideology has had the perverse effect of impoverishing America's political class when inspired and informed public officials are most vital to the nation's continued achievement in the 21st century.
Of course, those who are invested in the anti-government perspective would argue that national success is much less dependent on public policy than it is on innovation in the private sector. This is a purely ideological position, however, with very little basis in historical fact. For example, the government fostered the development of the world's most expansive middle class by subsidizing the college education of thousands of former soldiers who had fought for America during World War II. Many of those individuals were, in fact, educated at public universities funded primarily by tax dollars and administered by government employees.
Additionally, the nation's political stability has primarily been a function of the civil rights and liberties granted to citizens under the Constitution. Prior to the 1950s and 1960s, those rights were only fully extended to a certain portion of Americans - namely white males - but laws such as the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts expanded them to a much broader swath of the population. Had it not been for these impressive federal actions, America would remain a backwards and despotic nation in which state-sanctioned violence and discrimination would still be used to oppress minority groups.
There is no denying that good governance - meaning righteous lawmaking by informed and principled politicians, as well as effective administration by a qualified and motivated bureaucracy - is a crucial aspect of American prominence in the world. Evan so, the anti-government ideology that has been propagated by the nation's elite during the past three decades has driven many of America's best and brightest away from careers in public service. When citizens only hear about the "federal bureaucrats who are out there right now making it harder to create private sector jobs," as House Minority Leader John Boehner, recently put it, they receive a powerful message that their efforts will go unappreciated if they choose to work in the government. As a result, the nation is at risk of facing a critical shortage of competent government employees as it confronts major issues such as energy dependence, economic recovery and health care reform that need meaningful public policy responses.
Thankfully, anti-government ideology is not going unchallenged. Charlottesville, for example, recently held a Government Services Fair in which more 20 departments and agencies showcased exactly what it is that they do with their taxpayer-funded budgets. The event helped citizens understand and appreciate the positive ways in which government touches their lives: through actions as mundane as trash collection or as thrilling as fire fighting.
Government employees are also starting to fight back. Steve Ressler and Stephen Peteritas of GovLoop.com are holding the "Government Doesn't Suck March" in Washington, D.C. this Saturday to coincide with a larger rally sponsored by political pundits Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. The march is mainly organized through GovLoop, which was founded by Ressler and functions as a social network for government employees looking to share ideas and meet with other bureaucrats. The march seeks to "put a human face on these government employees," Peteritas said, by putting them out in the streets where Americans can see them for what they are: ordinary people who know how to have a good time. "These people work hard and basically get dumped on," Peteritas said. "Ever since Nixon was president, government has always been the bad guy. But people don't realize that government today is doing some fun, awesome things."
Because government is such a key part of American life, it is encouraging to know people are trying to characterize it in a more positive light. If anti-government ideology continues to erode the civic participation and public spirit of Americans, however, the nation may soon find that it has allowed government to become a corrupt and atrophied institution. If that happens, government will certainly be a problem - one that threatens the very essence of the nation's existence.
Matt Cameron is an associate editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at m.cameron@cavalierdaily.com.
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