The False Promise of Big Government

"Patrick Garry has a gift for making sophisticated ideas accessible to lawyers and nonlawyers alike. In The False Promise of Big Government, he brilliantly argues that big government rewards the rich and the powerful at the expense of the average person. This is an important book that should be widely read." —Richard Duncan, professor of law at the University of Nebraska"A powerful critique of the central premise behind most efforts to increase the size of government. Garry's argument is full of surprising and sometimes shocking evidence. It is timely and uncompromising." —Robert F. Nagel, Rothgerber Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Colorado Law School"Garry explodes the most treasured myth of the behemoth of modern American government—that whatever stray inefficiencies it may display, it at least benefits the poor. Not so, he lucidly shows. Contrary to the rhetoric that has advanced the expansion of government, the most egalitarian antipoverty program we could have is a drastic reduction in the size of government." —Matthew J. Franck, director of the Witherspoon Institute's Simon Center on Religion and the Constitution"In this readable volume, Garry convincingly demonstrates that governmental regulations and programs too often reinforce the status quo and serve the interests of the wealthy and politically connected. This book belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in the role of government in American life today." —James W. Ely Jr., professor emeritus of law and history at Vanderbilt University"Garry provides a clear-eyed analysis of the myriad ways in which government programs designed to help the poor and struggling actually do far more harm than good. Both compelling and compassionate, The False Promise of Big Government offers a searing indictment of our current War on Poverty. One cannot read this book without believing that we can do better." —Michael Tanner, senior fellow at the Cato Institute

"In this important and timely book, Patrick Garry shows that despite the persistence of faith in bigger government and more regulation to help the 'little guy,' it is typically the rich that reap the benefits of big government. Anyone interested in unders