Big Little Government

by Bill Barnwell
by Bill Barnwell

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One of the reasons that libertarianism is a superior political philosophy compared to mainstream conservatism is that it is consistent, logical, and orderly. Not only that, but its ramifications, if allowed to run their logical course, affect much more than just the highest levels of government. They apply to the lowest levels as well.

Many modern federalist conservatives make a lot of noise about "big government" on the national level. The reasoning goes that such and such law must be overturned at the federal level and returned to the state or local level where it belongs. Once there the local officials can do as they see fit, even if that means a local version of the original federal monstrosity. The implication, however, is that while the federal monstrosities are bad, local and state ones aren’t so bad. Or they are at least more tolerable.

Libertarianism, on the other hand, isn’t just happy with "handing it back down to the local level." Libertarianism isn’t just content with ending big intrusive government on the federal level. It seeks to rid the states, cities and towns of the same type of philosophical power-binges and authoritarianism that exist on the federal level.

And what better place to find big, intrusive and arrogant government than on the local level? This isn’t just the case in big cities, but medium and small towns as well with their built-in good-ol’-boys networks.

The federal government has its FBI. Your local government has its local police force. The same local police force that has regular times of the year when it needs to increase its ticket quota. The same local government which employs that police officer who parks his police car in discreet speed traps so he or she can ticket you.

Your local government also has that elected judge who is buddies with the cop who gave you the ticket for going a few miles over in the speed trap. In that local courthouse, the deck is usually stacked against you. In that cop’s police report he gets away with lying about you or overstating his case. His partner gets away with committing perjury on the witness stand about his buddy’s encounter with you. Their friend, the judge, lets it happen.

The judge is also friends with numerous powerful public and local officials in the community who get slaps on the wrists for the real crimes they commit. That’s if the judge doesn’t just bury the case to begin with. You however, dear reader, don’t typically have that luxury. Unless, of course, you join the local power system yourself, rather than challenge it.

On a local and state level, you become a target of government officials if you fail to wear your seatbelt. In most places, your accidental failure to put on a seatbelt when you drive subjects you to a government law enforcement officer pulling you over, collecting your identification, interrogating you, and issuing you a legal fine that must be paid (coupled with excuses to issue you other tickets as well). If you do not pay the fine then other government enforcers will come and extract the money somehow. Once paid it will be promptly placed in state or local coffers to fund the system that perpetrated the abuse in the first place.

This isn’t written to allege that all local and state law enforcement officers are corrupt or misuse their authority. But many of them are and do. It happens on a local level every day. And just because it happens on a local level does not mean that it is OK or that Big Little Government authoritarians have a "right" to mistreat people simply because they are local authoritarians instead of federal ones.

Taking the seatbelt example, libertarian philosophy would say, "It’s probably a good idea that one wears their seat belt. But it is not the job of government to make people take care of themselves if their decisions are not bothering anyone else in the process. One’s failure to wear a seatbelt is not harming another person, especially not the offended officer who writes the ticket. Seatbelt laws are just small-scale examples of overzealous government and government officials bothering citizens minding their own business. Therefore, abolish the seatbelt laws and let cops enforce laws against real crimes that involve violating the rights of another person."

That’s not exactly the prevailing philosophy of "law and order" Big Little Government conservatives and liberals. Their philosophy as it relates to this example is "Click It Or Ticket" along with a photo of a menacing cop pasted to your local gas pump with a legal warning to follow state and local dictates.

Plenty of other examples of local authoritarianism abound. It’s an unquestioned rule of life and society that a homeowner pays "property taxes." These property taxes do not go to Congress – they go to local officials and governments. I own many things outright. I do not have to pay ownership taxes on my microwave oven, my TV, or my tennis shoes (I did pay sales taxes though, of course). But for those of you who own homes, even if you own them outright and your mortgage is completely paid off, you still must pay your "property taxes."

Your land does not really belong to you when all is said and done. You are a mere renter of land who may own the house the property sits on (even though your home value is determined in part of how much land you "own" on the property), but really it’s your Big Little Government that owns the property.

And what if you want to build an oversized shed somewhere in the back of your large one acre property? Just make sure you first get permission from your local government overlords. Make sure what you want to build on "your" own land agrees with their various rules and codes of what is and isn’t allowed on "your" own property

Homes are in a class all of themselves when compared to all other goods. Unless you count the cars you own or are leasing. You do own your cars in the conventional sense, but if you fail to buy car insurance, as the government requires, you will be ticketed and incur a number of other penalties, including even losing your driving "privileges" (as I learned back in driver’s training, owning and driving a car is a "privilege" granted by the government).

From over-meddling into "your own backyard" (literally), to allowing law enforcement and judicial abuse to run rampant, to fostering municipalities that are controlled and corrupted by private and public neighborhood elites, local government can be just as or even more paternalistic than the federal government. The federal government is capable of more damage through encouraging inflation, debt, and national warfare, but on a daily basis scores of individuals are falling prey to Big Little Government. Local government is often a partner and more visible offender of the same philosophical system you don’t like about your big federal government, and does the same things, just closer to home.

How many times has the FBI hassled you in your day-to-day life? Then ask yourself how many times you or those you know have been bothered on the freeway by a state trooper and local police officer for going a few miles over the speed limit or having a blown taillight that you were unaware of? Have fun fighting it with the judge. The old saying "You can’t fight city hall" is well-known for a reason.

No, it’s not simply enough to "hand issues back to the state." That’s important, no doubt, and for certain issues a needed first step. But the libertarian spirit and philosophy must permeate the way we view our state and local governments. Actions are not intrusive, good, or bad simply because of where they are taking place.

Aggression is no friend of freedom. Paternalistic government meddling is no friend of freedom. Corruption is no friend of freedom. These things need to be loudly and roundly opposed whether they are taking place in Congress or the local courthouse of your small town.

Modern conservative philosophy does not offer a consistent or energetic philosophical framework for opposing these tyrannies when they occur locally. Consistent, logical and vigorous libertarianism, however, does. It is because of this (and many other reasons) I do not consider myself a conservative in the modern sense of the word. Libertarianism has just as much room for Big Little Government as it does for our big federal government.

If you are a self-proclaimed conservative who is reading this and find yourself in agreement, think about this: Perhaps you too are a little more libertarian and a little less conservative than you previously thought. If so, welcome aboard.

Bill Barnwell [send him mail] is a pastor and freelance writer from Michigan. He holds both a Master of Ministry degree and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree from Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. Prior to entering the ministry he studied Political Science and Social Science at Michigan State University and Wayne State University and was actively involved in local and state campaigns and consulting.

Copyright © 2008 LewRockwell.com

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