Cutting Down the Federal Government is a Good Thing … Period

I am among those (conservatives) who believe that our federal government is too big and too expensive – bloated with waste and corruption.  In the past century, Uncle Sam has assumed too many regulatory powers that are best handled by states and municipalities – as the Constitution requires.

The federal system was the genius of the Founders – and we are losing it to an increasingly oppressive and powerful central government run by an unelected and accountable permanent elitist class.  Just what the Founders feared most.

Therefore … any time we have an opportunity to reduce the size of the burgeoning federal bureaucracy, we should take it.  Any time we can cut federal taxes, eliminate programs and reduce the number of bureaucrats, we should do it. 

Of course, the Democrats – the party of big tax-spend-and-regulate government – will do a lot of caterwauling.  They will declare that every bureaucrat and every program is existential to the security and well-being of every American.  That is just propaganda and political hyperbole.  (And Republicans in Washington are not much better.)

The United States was founded on the principle of limited government, with a clear division of powers between the federal and state governments. (Read the Tenth  Amendment).  Yet over the past 75 years or so, the federal government has expanded far beyond its constitutional boundaries. This unchecked growth has led to staggering fiscal consequences, a bloated bureaucracy, and a dangerous erosion of state sovereignty. The numbers are not just alarming — they are existential.

This means that more and more programs and functions are being assumed by the most distant, the least responsive, most inefficient, most wasteful, least supervised, and most irresponsible government.

Let us begin with the raw data. In fiscal year 2025, federal spending reached $7 trillion, up from $6.29 trillion the previous year. Compare that to $332 billion in 1975 and a mere $42.6 billion in 1950. That’s a 16,000% increase over 75 years. Even adjusted for inflation and GDP growth, the federal government’s footprint has exploded, especially in non-defense areas like education, healthcare, and welfare.

The national debt tells an equally grim story. In 1950, it stood at $257 billion. By 1975, it had grown to $533 billion. Today, it exceeds $34 trillion — a 130-fold increase since 1975. Interest payments alone are projected to surpass defense spending within a few years. This is not just unsustainable — it is insanely reckless.

Meanwhile, the federal workforce continues to swell. In 1950, there were about 1 million non-military federal employees. By 1975, that number had nearly doubled to 1.9 million. Today, it stands at 2.3 million, excluding the Postal Service. Despite advances in automation and digital services, Washington continues to hire more and more people.

Much of this growth stems from a fundamental ideological shift. The left-wing establishment in Washington has increasingly centralized power — assuming managerial control (or funding) programs and services that were once the domain of states. This federal overreach undermines local autonomy, stifles innovation, and creates one-size-fits-all policies that fail to address the unique needs of diverse communities.

Consider education. The Department of Education (DOE), created in 1979, now commands a budget of more $80 billion annually. Yet education is a local issue.  Ironically, American education outcomes were demonstrably better before Washington took hold.   In fact, education quality and results have steadily declined since the establishment of the DOE

Another example is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates everything from carbon emissions to puddles on private property. While environmental protection is important, many of the EPA’s rules are duplicative of state efforts or so sweeping that they hinder economic development. States like Texas and Florida have robust environmental agencies capable of managing local concerns without federal interference.

Then there are the truly absurd programs. The federal government has funded studies on romantic relationships among fruit flies, spent millions on clown school in Argentina, and supported a National Institute of Health project examining the effects of cocaine on quails’ sexual behavior. We later learned that Uncle Sam helped fund gain-of-function research in Wuhan China – a likely cause of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic.  These are not isolated incidents.  They reflect a culture of waste and a lack of accountability in federal spending.

Even infrastructure, once a shared responsibility, has become a battleground for federal control. The Department of Transportation oversees grants and regulations that often delay projects and inflate costs. States are perfectly capable of managing their own roads, bridges, and transit systems without federal money and micromanagement.

The consequences of this federal sprawl are profound. It leads to inefficiency, duplication, and waste. It erodes the constitutional balance of power. And it disconnects government from the people it serves. When decisions are made in Washington rather than in state capitals, they are beyond the influence of the people back home.

The latest example of fiscal irresponsibility came in September 2025, when Democrats demanded a vote on more goodies to reopen the government — a move that would have add an astounding $1.5 trillion to the National Debt at a time when cutting the National Debt is the only rational option. The proposal included permanent extensions of enhanced ACA subsidies, expanded Medicaid funding, and taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants. Republicans called it a “ransom note to taxpayers,” packed with partisan priorities and reckless spending.

This is not just bad policy — it is generational theft. The current tax-and-spend policies championed by Democrats are mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren. Every dollar borrowed today is a dollar they will have to repay — with interest. If left unchecked, the risks includes currency devaluation, interest rate spikes, economic stagnation and collapse of entitlement programs.  If you think we have dealt Gen Z a bad hand, just wait to see what we have left their kids and grandkids.

Reducing the size and cost of the federal government is not just a good idea — it is a survival imperative. That means returning power to the states, eliminating redundant agencies slashing wasteful spending and imposing strict budget caps.

Some steps are already being proposed. The Department of Government Efficiency has cut billions from the federal budget. These are bold moves.  They reflect the urgency of the moment – but still not nearly enough.  And their mission has been aborted.

Ultimately, the path forward requires political will and public support – and a measure of a sacrifice. Americans must demand a government that is lean, efficient, and constitutionally grounded. We must reject the notion that Washington knows best and embrace the wisdom of local governance – where we the people have the most influence. The stakes are high.   But there is an opportunity to restore balance, accountability, and fiscal sanity to our Republic we are willing to take it.

As of this writing, Trump has essentially fired 4100 bureaucrats.  One can only hope that this just the beginning.    The federal budget needs major surgery – and Democrats are only interested in cosmetic surgery – if even that — while they continue their long corrosive history of reckless spending.

The Constitution envisioned a limited federal government. It’s time we honored that vision — before it’s too late.

So, there ‘tis.