Obama Government Too Big

[Will E Worm]

Obama Government Equal to Population in 1776

President Obama Monday invoked Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence to justify his expansive view of government, but Jefferson might be surprised to learn that the number of federal employees today is nearly equal to the entire population of the nation in 1776.

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the current civilian federal workforce, excluding postal service employees, was 2.15 million in 2011. The Census Bureau estimates that in 1776, the entire population of the United States was just a bit higher, at about 2.5 million. The number suggests that every adult man and woman living at the time – at least – would have been needed to staff today’s federal government.

The comparison is ironic because Obama invoked Jefferson’s famous line from the Declaration about “unalienable rights” such as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to launch an inaugural address that invoked the Founders as justification for Obama’s own statist agenda.

The Founders, who crafted a Constitution that is at bottom a document designed to limit the powers of federal government, would never have recognized the welfare state and redistributionist policies Obama supports. Jefferson in particular is viewed as a leading figure among them backing the cause of states rights and a limited federal role.

Obama suggested in his remarks that the federal government is instead the protector of such rights, a warped view of the Founders’ intentions.

In his first term as president, George Washington had only five Cabinet members and about 1,000 federal workers in his employ.

Under Obama, the civilian workforce has grown by nearly 200,000 from the level of 1.96 million in 2008.

Article

 

[lurkingdirk]

No. This is easily provably false. You are wrong, check your facts. The number of government employees is shrinking, not growing.

Thanks for trying, but you're wrong. Please, reply with something witty like "No. :tongue:" It will prove how stupid you are.

http://www.politicususa.com/big-government-obama-reagan.html
http://teapartyforobama.com/2012/07/05/government-actually-shrinking/
http://www.bobcesca.com/blog-archiv...-obama-has-shrunk-the-size-of-government.html
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...yan-barack-obama-has-doubled-size-government/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/14/u...er-to-merge-agencies.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.examiner.com/article/oba...jobs-wants-power-to-reduce-size-of-government
http://www.usmessageboard.com/politics/74197-barrack-obama-to-reduce-size-of-government.html
http://www.lessgovisthebestgov.com/Barack-Obama-smaller-government-national-debt-whats-next.html
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/203965-obama-looks-to-merge-trade-commerce-agencies

 

[Will E Worm]

No, this is correct.

 

[lurkingdirk]

No, this is correct.

If you go by facts, it isn't. It's just that simple. I know you're just going to say no again, but I encourage you to do so. It makes you look stupider.

Look at the number of government jobs. Less now. Does that mean bigger government? Only if you're stupid. Are you stupid enough to say fewer government jobs means bigger government?

Please respond to ALL of this post, not just the parts you want to.

 

[monicasilver]

Thomas Jefferson was a small government and limited power of the executive who increased the power of the president and definitely increased government.

Sometimes a strict idealology isn't the best thing.

 

[Johan]

The Census Bureau estimates that in 1776, the entire population of the United States was just a bit higher, at about 2.5 million.

Including slaves ?
White people used not to consider slaves as persons (otherwise, the Declaration of Indepedance and the US Constitution would have applied to them, making them free men) so most probably the answer is "no".

 

[twat36975248664224]

The government is too big, there are too many employees in the public sector that get paid to do nearly nothing and get paid way too much then they are worth. (Not just federal level also state level I'm talking about)

The public sector shouldn't be able to make more money then those in private sector. You should be able to start a business and make more then those in the public sector, those in the public sector are there to serve the citizens. Public sector jobs should also be training so that people could use that to start their own business. (Such as those that work in construction)

 

[abrogate]

Including slaves ?
White people used not to consider slaves as persons (otherwise, the Declaration of Indepedance and the US Constitution would have applied to them, making them free men) so most probably the answer is "no".

Come on, slaves aint people! Unless it relates to something the owners want, then they are considered 3/5 of people, but without a 3/5 vote. I know it is true because it is written in the US Constitution.