Neither Liberty nor Safety: Fear, Ideology, and the Growth of Government (Independent Studies in Political Economy) (Paperback)

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Product Description

The history of the United States, from the 19th century to present day, is included in this examination of the very foundations of unwarranted government intrusiveness that illuminates the two essential elements that have led to the expansion of the state’s authority—the ideology that the government should serve as a savior whenever people face threats to their well-being and the public fear that follows the perception of a large-scale threat to peace or prosperity. When these two factors operate simultaneously, people demand that the government take protective measures on their behalf. Hence, in an outburst of opportunism, the growth of government accelerates during the crisis, at the expense of liberty. Dr. Higgs’s conclusion is undeniable: placing confidence in the government to function as savior or problem solver does not lead to the peace, prosperity, and safety that people crave. On the contrary, that misplaced confidence ultimately leads to tyranny and diminished security—in Benjamin Franklin’s words, “Neither liberty nor safety.”

About the Author

Robert Higgs is a senior fellow in political economy for The Independent Institute and serves as editor of the Institute's quarterly journal, The Independent Review. He is the author of Against Leviathan; Crisis and Leviathan; Depression, War, and Cold War; and Resurgence of the Warfare State; and the editor of The Challenge of Liberty; Emergence of the Modern Political Economy; and Hazardous to Our Health? He lives in Covington, Louisiana.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Independent Institute (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598130129
• ISBN-13: 978-1598130126
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #538,293 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short and sweet, April 2, 2008

By	Jorge Besada (miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I get the feeling that the word "ideology" is becoming more and more popular these days. Even Obama keeps bringing it up to refer to Bush's war. This is a good thing because ideologies become the sort of lemons out of which our minds can make lemonade with, and the more we focus on ideology the more we focus on the root of the problems instead of just labeling people as good or evil and killing them which still seems to be the usual solution to so many problems. I mention this because chapter 3 "The Complex Course of Ideological Change" provides an insightful discussion on the subject.

This book seems to be a condensed and bite-sized version of Dr. Higgs' many contributions to political economy.

Chapter 5 "What Got Us Into and Out of the Great Depression" is worth the price of the book by itself.

The one thing I did not like was the title and cover. It gives off this conspiracy theory "the government is out to get us" type of feel which I think turns some people off.

I can't think of that many other books that do a great job of discussing so many important concepts and bits of history in so short a time. Highly recommended.

I also recommend Against Leviathan: Government Power and a Free Society and Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government (A Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy Book) by the same author.