Economist–America's debate on what role government should play is too shallow

America needs a serious debate both about the size and scope of government, and how to pay for it. The winner of the November election will immediately be faced with the problem of the “fiscal cliff”””a preset $400 billion tax increase, with the expiry of various tax cuts, and a $100-billion-a-year cut in spending””which could push the economy back into recession. Looming over that is the gaping deficit. And over that, America’s schizophrenia: it taxes itself like a small-government country, but spends like a big-government one.

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