Prove that we don't have big government. Until you can't it's just your feeling. See how that works? Big government first has to be defined and agreed by both in order to then classify what is and what is not "big". To me, and just about everyone else here, "Big Government" is You'll just pull a Krugman and go "hell, we should have double that!"
Of course I do, but I was first. http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3403753&highlight=measuring#post3403753
Ricter... Your data seems to be 13 years old. And I suspect it is missing state and local govt... which would move us to the tops of the big and unsustainable.
It's the formulas and approach that are important, one can look up the current data. And state and local government have shrunk the most this recession (doesn't necessarily mean they're not still too large, I know).
pump in state and local spending and we are big mess like most of those other countries. We have seen the charts... in an economy our size govt spending is very inefficient. It takes multiple dollars of govt debt/spending to make a dollar of gdp because the govt is so inefficient. Its part of the reason why all this spending is not doing much for our economy other than inflating the stock market and debasing the dollar. govt spending is mostly pushing on a string or a hand out to cronies. what obama should have done was what he promised. Spent on infrastructure.
Sure, please show me your data (on which you are undoubtedly basing your claim) on state government spending as a percentage of state GDP. Your claim about the multiplier effect is wrong, or at least it was only right when GDP was falling and automatic stabilizing spending was rising. It is no longer true and is not typically true. This has been pointed out to you before.
The govt is big enough to grab somebody's kid when they disagree with the fascistic medical establishment, that's how big the goddam government is... and that without a warrant. The government big enough to give you everything is big enough to take everything you have. Read what happened to tax protesters in the '70-80's, government just allowed them zero rights at all, they laughed at the idea of warrants, etc.. If somebody had a weapon system that would take out everybody coming into a house and deployed it they would wind up looking like shit in the MSM so you can't win. You can quit though, move to South America, provide your own electricity probably, and use satellite internet probably, but it's looking more and more like a good idea.. There are places I can move to where nobody gives a rats' ass who I am as long as I pay the rent.. those places are giving me the warm fuzzies nowadays, true Libertarianism, yesssss! Law and Order, in the same place at the same time, maybe not so much but who needs this gestapo-like overregulation of our personal lives, fuck, it's like Russia but with the left-overs from prosperous capitalism in place. Once those left-overs are gone, kiss your freedom goddbye biatches..