Government programs don’t believe in heaven, but many seem to have eternal life. That federal initiatives grow old but never die is particularly significant today. Fueled by ideology and equipped with a large majority in Congress, President Obama and his allies on Capitol Hill are injecting steroids into Washington’s normal propensity to expand.

But is there an exit strategy for the new largesse? The deck is normally stacked against government shrinking itself. Washington rarely takes steps to limit its own power. Ensuring outmoded or ineffective programs don’t live in perpetuity is a daunting task.