Republicans, including conservatives, have been largely supportive of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package, and they seem ready to do still more. This has led some liberals to herald the death of small-government ideas or at least to decry what they claim is an inconsistency.

After all, they argue, during the Obama administration, Republicans roundly denounced a smaller piece of legislation designed to stimulate the economy amid the Great Recession. How many sanctimonious tea party lectures were we given about the importance of reining in government spending and stopping bailouts?