Is the United States Government Too Big?

Is the oft heard complaint that the US government is too big valid? No and yes. Some parts are too big; some parts are too small, measured by my values and the priorities I favor.

Whether a component of the government is too big or small is relative to its intended purpose. Attribution: Ellen Levy Finch (uploaded by TBjornstad), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Source

When one considers the merits of the thesis that the United States government is too big, its…