Why Limit Government?

Lawrence Reed, president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, has a great little essay on the justification for limiting government over on the Heritage Foundation's website.

Here's a taste:

As men and women who want to "limit" government, we sometimes come across to others as naysayers. As someone once said, we do a better job describing Hell than Heaven. Whenever we make the case for limiting government, we ought to use the opportunity to remind others that we are opposed to excessive government because we are in favor of some very positive, important things. We want to limit government--ultimately--because we support freedom and the free society.

We want to limit government because we want to maximize opportunity, enterprise and creativity.

We want to limit government because we want to permit individuals to go as far as their talents, ambitions, and industry can take them.

We want to limit government because we want people to dream and to have the room to bring those dreams to fruition--for themselves and their families....