In chapter 3 of Preserving Democracy, Elgin Hushbeck notes:
A key aspect of any democratic government is freedom. As Thomas Jefferson stated, “It is to secure our rights that we resort to government at all.”i He also said, “The equal rights of man and the happiness of every individual are now acknowledged to be the only legitimate objects of government.”ii Yet, the more democracies try to do to improve the lives of their citizens, the less freedom those citizens will have.
In addition, government programs, while reducing freedom, don’t always accomplish what the framers of the bill set out to accomplish, as demonstrated by the Cash for Clunkers program. It appears now that this program has forced up the price of used cars, thus negatively impacting lower and middle people who often buy used cars to save money. The story comes via WIOD NewsRadio. (HT: The Agitator)
iThomas Jefferson to M. D’Ivernois, 1795. http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff0150.htm (accessed April 3, 2009).
iiThomas Jefferson to A. Coray, 1823. http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff2.htm (accessed April 3, 2009).