I'd rather see something like Bob Corker is proposing

Reader comment on: A Limited Government Amendment
in response to reader comment: Spending, Deficits & the Future

Submitted by Walter Mayhew (United States), Oct 12, 2010 17:01

capping spending at a given percentage of GDP (with a sub cap for defense spending). Corker is trying to do it legislatively, but that will likely leave Congress too many ways to get around it. An amendment that caps the budget at, say, 20% of the previous year's GDP (I would like something lower, but politically you probably need to go higher to get it passed) and defense spending at 5% (with provisions to lift the cap in times of national emergency) would be a better approach, IMO. I'd also like to see a spending amendment moved in tandem with something like Randy Barnett's Federalism Amendment.


Note: Comments are moderated by the editor and are subject to editing.

The Future of Capitalism replies:

I don't see why government spending should be related to GDP. Some costs are fixed, others are variable. Why GDP and not, say, population, or the number of square miles of territory in America? Does an America with twice the GDP automatically need twice the national parks, twice as large an army, twice as large a Congress, twice as expensive a Supreme Court?

Other reader comments on this item

Title By Date
Spending, Deficits & the Future [254 words]J.JohnsonOct 12, 2010 12:59
⇒ I'd rather see something like Bob Corker is proposing
[w/response] [106 words]
Walter MayhewOct 12, 2010 17:01
Hitler would have love this.
[w/response] [93 words]
benOct 12, 2010 11:09

Comment on this item

Mark my comment as a response to I'd rather see something like Bob Corker is proposing by Walter Mayhew

Email me if someone replies to my comment

Note: Comments are moderated by the editor and are subject to editing.