In a recent editorial on what a libertarian is, Cato Institute chairman Bob Levy emphasizes the respect Libertarians have for the legitimate functions of government in securing individual liberty. But as Cato’s Chris Edwards explains in “Independence in 1776; Dependence in 2014,” our liberties are being sharply undermined by the obscene growth of subsidies going to individuals, businesses and nonprofit groups. Today there are 2,282 federal subsidy programs, each of which “generates a bureaucracy, spawns lobby groups, and encourages more people to demand further benefits from the government.” As Chris further notes, “Government subsidies are like an addictive drug, undermining American traditions of individual reliance, voluntary charity, and entrepreneurialism.”
