Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, 25th Anniversary Edition (Independent Studies in Political Economy) Anniversary Edition
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Discussing how government has continually grown in size and scope during the past century, this account demonstrates that the main reason lies in government’s responses to national “crises” (real or imagined), including economic upheavals and, especially, war. The result, this book argues, is the ever-increasing government power, which endures long after each crisis has passed, impinging on both civil and economic liberties and fostering extensive corporate welfare. Offering ideological explanations for the ascension of the role of government out of a capitalist, free-market economy, it will appeal to those with interests in political economy, American history, and libertarian politics.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"A book of major importance, thoroughly researched, closely argued, and meticulously documented. It should be high on the reading list of every serious student of the American political system." —Political Science Quarterly
An important, powerful, and profoundly disturbing book.” —James M. Buchanan, Nobel Laureate in Economic Science, Journal of Economic History
"A thoughtful and challenging work." —Harper’s
"Insightful, compelling, and clear, Higgs breaks new ground in explicating the most important socio-political trend of our time—the growth of American government." —Freeman
About the Author
Robert Higgs is senior fellow in political economy for the Independent Institute and the editor of the Institute’s quarterly journal, the Independent Review. He is also the author of several books, including Against Leviathan, Competition and Coercion, Neither Liberty Nor Safety, Resurgence of the Warfare State, and The Transformation of the American Economy 1865–1914, and the recipient of numerous awards, such as the Gary Schlarbaum Award for Lifetime Defense of Liberty and the Lysander Spooner Award for Advancing the Literature of Liberty.He lives in Covington, Louisiana. Arthur A. Ekirch, Jr. was a professor emeritus of history at the State University of New York–Albany, a Guggenheim fellow, and the author of dozens of articles and 10 books, including The Civilian and the Military and The Decline of American Liberalism.
Product details
- Publisher : Independent Institute; Anniversary edition (January 1, 2013)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1598131117
- ISBN-13 : 978-1598131116
- Item Weight : 1.37 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #257,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #86 in Government
- #310 in General Elections & Political Process
- #743 in Economic History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Dr. Robert Higgs (born 1 February 1944) is an American economic historian and an economist of the Austrian school. His writings in economics and economic history have most often focused on the causes, means, and effects of government growth. Dr. Higgs has written extensively about the ratchet effect, the economic causes of the Great Depression, regime uncertainty, and the myth that World War II caused economic recovery in the late 1940s.
Currently Dr. Higgs is Senior Fellow in Political Economy for The Independent Institute and Editor of the Institute's quarterly journal The Independent Review. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University, and he has taught at the University of Washington, Lafayette College, Seattle University, and the University of Economics, Prague. He has been a visiting scholar at Oxford University and Stanford University, and a fellow for the Hoover Institution and the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Higgs is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gary Schlarbaum Award for Lifetime Defense of Liberty, Thomas Szasz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Civil Liberties, Lysander Spooner Award for Advancing the Literature of Liberty, Friedrich von Wieser Memorial Prize for Excellence in Economic Education, and Templeton Honor Rolls Award on Education in a Free Society.
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If you have any doubt that government uses crises - both natura and manufactured - to increase its power over the people, this book will dissipate those doubts. Rahm Emanuel, formerly of the Obama administration, said "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste...it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before". Prof. Higgs shows convincingly how this has occurred over the history of the US government since the mid-1890s, and why we have Leviathan now instead of the limited government envisioned by the Founding Fathers.
First, consider when Robert Higgs wrote this book as it was published in 1984. This is original, critical thinking at its best.
The thesis is a ratchet theory of Big Government, and consequent loss of individual freedom and liberty.
I highly recommend anyone interested in the truth of the evolution of our Republic read this book to find out how we got here--and the bibliography is a treasure chest of references for further reading and areas to explore.










