As the size of the federal government and its budget grows, everyone in America loses a little bit of liberty. Under small government, bounded by the rule of law and the embrace of free market capitalism, each person is free to pursue happiness as that person defines.

Under a big, dirigiste government, the state decides how capital is allocated and how we should speak and behave. The Biden administration, with its embrace of large deficit spending — the president’s actions have increased deficits by $4.8 trillion through 2031 — is undermining the economy and the fiscal foundations of the nation. Among highly populated nations, there is a correlation between the size of government and national prosperity. The per capita income of the United States is around $70,000. Our government spends about 30% of its national output. Germany, a wealthy nation, has a per capita income of about $52,000. In Germany, government spending ranges between 45% and 50% of gross domestic product. In turn, Britain and France are poorer than Germany. Government spending in Britain takes over 40% of GDP. In France, where per capita GDP is 30% lower than in the U.S., government spending exceeds 50% of GDP. Among wealthy nations, smaller government increases national prosperity.