Big vs. Small Government The problem of government and public administration in the U.S. today is one that affects many people. The trend in politics in recent years is for voters to voice their anger and frustration with government by voting for outsiders, such as Rand Paul, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders -- candidates who challenge the status quo, overreach of big government, lack of accountability and lack of representation. However, what representatives like Ron Paul assert is that government is too big and that smaller government, according to the Constitution as it was initially devised, needs to be adhered to in order to protect citizens from big government.

The main point of this study is to understand whether the common citizen is in favor of big government or small government and what their perception of the role of government is in today's world.

This study uses relevant literature on the subject to provide a framework for the questions that are asked citizens on campus including teachers, students, and citizens in the workplace. The responses are used to assess the general view of the public on whether big government is a problem in today's world of public administration or whether it is a necessary evil that must be accepted for the sake of safety as smaller government cannot protect citizens from economic collapse or terrorism. While these may not be precise or even accurate reasons are explanations for the state of affairs today in public administration, what this study aims to identify is the perception that common persons have on government. The identification of perception can then be used to help see where future studies should look or if education of the common citizen is needed in order to help them understand the purpose of big and small government and what each is capable of doing.

This study finds that most people prefer big government even though they dislike aspects of it, such as waste and lack of transparency. They still want government to take care of them in terms of providing safety, security, and economic stimulus.

Part One: Introduction

The debate between the issue of big government versus small government is one that goes back to the very founding the U.S., when the writers of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers engaged in a dialectic, between whether small government (states) should have the majority of power or whether big government (the federal, central government) should have more power. Alexander Hamilton was one of the main proponents of a strong central government, which he advocated for various reasons -- namely, that men when left to govern themselves (via small government) were invariably corrupt, prone to laxity, negligence, jealousies and fighting; whereas a strong central government could control all of that by acting as an impartial moderator and authority over all the various smaller state governments. The view of the Anti-Federalists (who wrote anonymously) was that a strong, central government (Big Government) could easily lead to tyranny, authoritarianism and totalitarianism and that small government (which was more localized and individualized according to region, place, culture and ethnicity) was a more suitable form of government for a land made of diverse peoples and cultures. The issue was settled more or less by the U.S. Constitution -- which gave Big Government only those rights specified in the Articles. However, as time progressed, the Constitution began to be reinterpreted and the need for more centralization was deemed important as the world began to become smaller thanks to Industrialization and globalization. Today, with the Digital Age upon us, it appears that small government is an anachronism in a world where global governance, such as the EU (which oversees not states but nations) and the UN serve as examples of Big Government on a global scale. Nonetheless, the debate between the merits of Big Government and Small Government continue, as some locate the ills of society in today's world in the usurpation of Big Government of various rights that were afforded small (state) government in the U.S. by the Constitution.

While...

As McCarthy notes, the most recent Gallop poll shows that 65% of Americans are dissatisfied with the efficiency of the American government.[footnoteRef:1] [1: Justin McCarthy, "In U.S., 65% Dissatisfied with How Gov't System Works." Gallup, 22 Jan 2014. Web.]
The research question this paper poses is this: What, according to common perceptions, is the problem with government? Is it too big or too small?

Inherent in this problem is the need to define what is meant by both terms. Big Government refers to the sprawling bureaucracy of modern government (which has now even impacted state and local governments). Small Government is best represented by the Libertarian party and individuals like Ron Paul who call for less government, fewer legal constraints on individual liberty, and a non-interventionist foreign policy which would oblige the U.S. to withdraw from foreign entanglements and to close bases around the world. Smaller government in this sense refers to government that is more focused on domestic issues than on international issues and one that is willing to take a hands-off approach to governing society via legislation (i.e., less legislation).

The research question of whether common citizens want more Big Government or if they want more Small Government is significant because it can help leaders to evaluate the situation more clearly and develop a plan for the future that will address the needs of the public. In short, this study could help to provide public administrators with a better sense of how to administer to the needs of the public based on how the public wants its government to be shaped in terms of size.

Theoretical Sensitivity

My qualifications for addressing this issue are based on my student status as a public administration scholar. I present myself as a good research tool because I have access to myriad databases and understand how to access and identify adequate and relevant literature sources that can be used to strengthen my own understanding of the issues inherent in this study.

Parameters of the Study

This paper will be organized according to the following parameters: using a phenomenological approach, the study will focus on using interviews and surveys in order to assess the "mood" of common citizens and their opinions on whether government is too big or too small (i.e., whether it is doing too much, too little, is overweight, underweight, etc.). The answers will then be gathered and a qualitative assessment will be deduced. The study aims to give a general qualitative impression of whether today's population would align itself with a Federalist perspective or an Anti-Federalist perspective.

Focus of the Study

The paper will be organized according to chapters, with an introduction, problem statement, research question, hypothesis, literature review, methodology section, findings chapter, discussion section, conclusion and recommendations for future studies.

Part Two -- Research Design

Site and Sample

The main site from which information will be gathered is the Google Scholar, which can be utilized to find scholarly databases by using keyword searches. Google Scholar gives access to books, periodicals, academic journals, and newspapers. Also used will be alternative sites, such as ZeroHedge, which has links to various sites and archives that can give a broader view of the issue.

Contacts that will be used will be individuals on campus, at work, and online. The sample size for interviews will be 10 and consist of 4 colleagues, 2 teachers, 3 students, and 1 blue collar worker.

Survey sample will consist of as many respondents who return answers: I will utilize Facebook as a place to send out the survey.

Research Methods

The documents collected from Google Scholar include Newton's (1982) study "Is Small Really So Beautiful? Is Big Really so Ugly? Size, Effectiveness, and Democracy in Local Government," and Peter Dale Scott's The Road to 9/11 which was recommended by a colleague. These two documents juxtapose the central issue by looking at both the micro and the macro-events that have shaped public administration policies in recent years.

Interview questions for this section of the study include the following:

1) Do you feel government is too big?

2) Do you feel government should do more to help people?

3) Do you feel government does too much already to help people?

4) Do you feel government should be reduced in size?

5) Do you feel smaller government would mean more effective government?

6) Are you happy with the size of the government as it is today?

7) Do you feel we would be as safe as we are with a small government?

8) Do you feel that our current government is able to protect you from social ills like terrorism, economic depression, social inequality, and unemployment?

9) Do…