The Smallest Possible Government
Shrink government to the smallest fraction of the economy that still keeps us secure. If a function can be an independent non-profit, it should be. If it can be private enterprise, it should be. Government does only what requires security and control.
A ladder, not a slogan
“Small government” is usually a slogan. We make it a method — a ladder every public function should be tested against, in order:
- Can it operate as private enterprise (in a genuinely competitive market — see Competition by Design)? Then it should.
- If not, can it operate as an independent non-profit, or as competing non-profits? Then it should.
- Only if neither is safe or possible — because the function requires security and control — does it belong to government.
The goal is explicit: shrink government to the smallest possible fraction of the economy consistent with keeping people safe and free.
What government keeps
Some functions are about security and control, and those are properly public — for example defense and safety: the integrity of the food supply, medical safety, professional licensure, driver’s licensing, and the like. These are the places where the public must hold the final authority.
Everything else should be pushed down the ladder — to non-profits accountable to a mission, or to enterprises accountable to real competition. Government should be lean, legible, and limited to what genuinely requires the public’s coercive authority.
This is where progressive ends and libertarian meet: a government strong enough to guarantee safety and fairness, and humble enough to get out of the way everywhere else.
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