David Boaz

In the following viewpoint, David Boaz argues that government intervention in the economy to preserve or create jobs will lead to a misuse of resources, resulting in economic stagnation and a declining standard of living. In Boaz's opinion, unemployment is the short-term side effect of competition as businesses find cheaper means of meeting consumer demands. Economies unrestrained by government intervention will create more new jobs than are lost as a consequence of these market forces, according to the author. Boaz is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, and the author of Libertarianism: A Primer.

As you read, consider the following questions:
1. What lessons, according to Boaz, have Americans learned about the failure of big government"
2. In the author's opinion, what happens when government goes beyond...