[HenryArmitage]

A talking point you may see pop up. Honestly, I think comparing the size of gov to the size of the population is a bit dishonest. Money spent is a far more accurate way to judge the scope and power of Gov. Interested to hear everyone else's take on it. (there are some interesting graphs at the website linked) also is anyone familiar with the Hamilton Project's political leanings?

[jospehm20]

Automation allowing a smaller group of leaches inflict more damage?

[major-pelham]

In 1968 banks still closed on Wed Afternoon to balance. Cows got milked by hand. Pick ups had shifts on the column. In what way is this number from ‘68 a useful reference point ?

[READINABLUESTATE]

“Compared to our population, it hasn’t been this size since 1968.”

GOOD! A small step in the right direction.

[KC_Conspirator]

A total lie! Total BS!

I guarantee that when liberals talk about less “government workers”, then area ALWAYS talking about less military personnel. So when they cut the defense budget, less soldiers equals less government workers.

[KC_Conspirator]

A total lie! Total BS!

I guarantee that when liberals talk about less “government workers”, then area ALWAYS talking about less military personnel. So when they cut the defense budget, less soldiers equals less government workers.

[lacrew]

Per the link below, total gubmint spoending, as a percent of GDP was:

2011: 40%
2010: 41%
2009: 43%
2008: 37%
2007: 35%
2006: 35%
2005: 35%
2004: 35%
2003: 35%
2002: 35%
2001: 33%
2000: 33%
1999: 33%
1998: 33%
1980: 34%
1970: 31%

This talking point is completely bogus, and only points to the fact that government pay has outpaced the rest of the economy, if there are in fact fewer workers.

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/total_2011USpt_88ps5n

[andyk]

Since it doesn’t seem to specify, I’m guessing it includes local and state government employees as well.

[Mr Rogers]

1 - With computers and the Internet, one regulator can impact 100 times as many people. For example, zoning. It used to be the county zoning folks had to drive around and look for a possible violation. Now they sit at their computer and look at aerial photos. And with the zoning people I’ve run in to, it doesn’t matter if you’ve complied with all zoning laws. They want to know if you bought a permit from them - which in my case ran about $300 for a corral made of panels resting on the top of the ground.

BTW - I got my permit before doing the work. But it took me 4 hours, because a guy staring at an aerial photo insisted I needed a new survey. After 4 hours, I was lucky enough to encounter a guy in the office who had visited the site a month earlier (just before I bought it). He assured the first guy that no survey was needed. If I hadn’t stayed for 4 hours, and lucked out by running into someone who had been there, I’d have needed to pay over $1000 for a survey acceptable to the county.

2 - Much of the Federal government is no longer involved with governing, but in transferring wealth. It takes people to build a road. It takes a computer to monitor your pay and deduct money to give to someone else.

3 - If I want to start a business, how much red tape will I encounter? Do the regulations take up 4 feet of shelves, guaranteeing I’ll violate something somewhere and be subject to fines or delays?

[tacticalogic]

Honestly, I think comparing the size of gov to the size of the population is a bit dishonest. Money spent is a far more accurate way to judge the scope and power of Gov.

Also note that the influx of illegals adds to the general population numbers, diluting the percentages of government employees. By their account, by failing to secure the borders they're reducing the size of government.

[BenLurkin]

What do you call 600,000 bureaucrats at the bottom of the ocean?

A good start.

[wiggen]

Same productivity gains that the private sector has undergone except it took an economic calamity for the government to make cuts. It’s not like they wanted a smaller government,it was forced on them.

[a fool in paradise]

More Czars (who never went through Congressional confirmation) than ever before.

Obama lies, so does the Pravda Revisionist History media.

[a fool in paradise]

As it shows, there are now fewer public sector employees per American than at any time dating back to the Carter administration (To be clear, we're talking state, federal, and local here). ...

Everyone on the dole is a PAID gub'mint employee.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Money spent is a far more accurate way to judge the scope and power of Gov.

...as well as rules and regualtions.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

A little indirection going on here.

The size of government is more properly judged by HOW MUCH IT IS SPENDING.

By that measure, we have the largest government in the history of the world.

[Tanniker Smith]

Out of curiosity, how many of those jobs lost were military?

And how much are we paying the people still around? Is the average salary higher? Are we dumping the low-income workers out into the streets to fend for themselves and keeping the bloated bureaucracy that should be able to find work elsewhere?

[TheBattman]

So many things wrong with this incredibly slanted story.

First - what about the TOTAL number of people employed in ANY capacity by the Federal Government (including contracted labor)?

Second - From the “peak” of 2000-2001 to today, we have over half a million MORE Federal workers today! And this doesn’t include the jobs that have moved over to contractors. If you add in those former federal jobs that are not contracted out, the number of Federal employees would skyrocket.

But intellectual fraud is a hallmark of the media - and of these Leftist groups.

How about we also include as “employees of the Federal Government” the millions who live off of social programs!

And lets take it a step farther - in the last decade, what is the INCREASE in the number of those dependent in part, or totally, on government handouts?

I’m not talking about those who paid in to Social Security for a lifetime and are now receiving benefits - they earned those.