The Big Government We Love to Hate: Exploring the Roots of Political Malaise (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780915728282)

At the root of modern political troubles, says political scientist James Payne, is the assumption that government can fix whatever is wrong in society. This faith in government is not logical or scientific, Payne explains in his new book, The Big Government We Love to Hate. It is an unexamined "cultural presumption," a blind attachment that produces error and contradiction, even among otherwise thoughtful commentators.

Only in recent historical times have innovative thinkers broken from the grip of this irrational loyalty to government. These are libertarians, who have realized that government cannot create a healthy society. Their growing numbers portend an evolution toward "Neighbor" values emphasizing personal relationships and voluntary social organization.