Is 'Big Government' Really the Problem?

Conservatives like to complain about "Big Government," but despite lower government spending than many peer nations, America is less prosperous and less free. Briahna Joy Gray explains how the government isn't bad because it's big: it's bad because it's bought.

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CITATIONS

In addition to federal budget data on the size of government and GDP, the following sources were helpful in the making of this video:

4:06: Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, The Triumph of Injustice (2019). For a simple summary, see David Leonhardt, "The Rich Really Do Pay Lower Taxes Than You," The New York Times, October 2019.

[blastixart]

THEY HAVE CITATIONS IN THE DESCRIPTION WOW

[suzuplaza]

do you know what would make this even better? Adding the sources in the description. prager doesn't do it and it would help people look into the topics more.

[timborowiec]

okay but have you tried making a meaningless graph of of "goodness v. money" like PragerU does?

[Densoro]

"Not because it's big -- because it's _bought."_

I feel _alive again_ after hearing those words.

[emilyfreeman]

Wait WHAT?!?! Charts with labled axis's?!?!?!

[creativeusername]

The problem with the "big government" argument is that it almost exclusively focuses on taxes as opposed to actual government overreach. Police, military, surveillance, I.C.E, ETC have all expanded within the past 20 years.

[beveltgr]

At least one source, so, more credible than PragerU

[devon]

GravelI: *labels graphs*
PragerU: Is it possible to learn this power?

[PorQpine]

where is the squiggly line graph labeled 'government' and 'happiness'?

[rickyvillafan]

Sending this to my right wing friends because they fell for the whole prager u videos

[minskghoul]

Proposed list of topics to cover:
Worker cooperatives
Universal healthcare
Restorative justice and rehabilitation of criminals
Electoral system
Sex and gender
Capital punishment
Origins of crime
Systemic discriminations
Public school

[sweetshoez]

RIP MICHAEL BROOKS. He would have literally invalidated neoconservatism on a big enough platform. This was still awesome to see though

Completely true. Everything and everyone is for sale. That’s the problem.

[RobinHerzig]

Money in politics is the #1 issue. They serve their donors not their constituents

[falcoperegrinus]

Conservatives: "DON'T TREAD ON ME!"

Also conservatives: Unless of course you're a giant corporation or work on behalf of the super-rich elite! In which case, tread on me plenty and make sure to really grind those heels in!

[Jupiter]

"The problem is not because the government is big, it's because it's bought" is good stuff

[Ppapadou]

Instant turn on: actual graphs with real data and sources

[Thresholds]

The best thing about this is that it’s clearly critiquing both Democrats and Republicans, unlike Prager U, which is just propaganda machine for the GOP.

[Xondar]

"No, not big government!" the conservative cries as the giant corporation denies his medical insurance claim and he gets fired without cause from his $7.25/hour job at a worldwide mega-corporation for taking too many sick days.

[free]

Not because it's big, but because it's bought.

Damn that's a good line.