It's the demographics, not the deficit

First of a three-part series With his daring deficit reduction plan, House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin deserves credit for courageous fiscal leadership. But he is painting Republicans into a corner if he thinks exploding federal outlays can be reduced without addressing underlying family demographics.

As Hoover Institution scholar William Voegeli maintains in “Never Enough,” the welfare state is the primary driver of rising federal spending. Even as Americans have enjoyed increased prosperity, rising living standards, and higher levels of education, the proportion of social spending relative to GDP has not declined one iota since 1980.