At least the latest LA Weekly thinks so. It talks about how the first governments were formed in ancient civilizations, and how the government played an active role in fostering middle class prosperity in mid-20th Century America. It goes on to talk about how the mad drive to cut government has resulted in a government that cannot even deliver on the essentials, except in the form of tax cuts for the rich.
Small, lean government is a good thing. But it must be capable of doing the essentials - like planning for disasters, which the US government could not do in the face of Katrina. Another essential function would be the great Republican idea espoused by Eisenhower - the Interstate Highway System. And taxes must be low enough to stimulate growth for ALL sectors of economy, not just the top - and high enough to support these essential functions.
LA Weekly article
