Big government
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Big government (sometimes capitalized as Big Government) is a pejorative term generally used by political conservatives, laissez-faire advocates or libertarians to describe a government which is excessively large, corrupt and inefficient, or which is inappropriately involved in certain areas of public policy. In this latter sense the term may also be used by political liberals in relation to government policies which attempt to regulate matters considered to be private or personal, such as private sexual behavior.
Big government can refer to any of a number of bureaucratic criticisms: government programs where policy goals could be accomplished with smaller more nimble organizations, attempts to federalize programs traditionally implemented at the state level, implementing programs that seek to accomplish functions normally associated with the private sector or private organizations (such as non-profit groups or religious organizations), expensive programs that are likely to increase significantly in costs in the long term, subject to cost overruns and poor cost analysis, resistant to reform efforts both internally and externally, large bureaucracies lacking in accountability, limited or no checks and balances on power within the organization, inadequate or inconsistent metrics to verify to efficacy, limited genuine benefits conferred to citizens, cost ineffective (benefits are outweighed by high costs), programs funded primarily by bond packages. A common example of big government is unfunded federal mandates, where federal programs and policy priorities are imposed upon states, requiring states to bear the financial burden without funding from the federal level.
Commentators who use the term are often concerned about government delivery of public goods, and government involvement in the formulation and implementation of laws and policies concerning civil rights, social justice and social welfare. However, such commentators may also be supportive of capital punishment, stronger executive powers for government, a larger criminal justice system (particularly in terms of the numbers of police and prisons), and a powerful military.
Some populist commentators combine criticism of "big government" with criticism of "big business," casting them as an alliance against the public. Others include "big labor", "big oil" and "big pharma"
Supporters of Big government argue that Big governments can get things done, particularly in the field of large public works projects. One example is China's Qingzang railway.
