The topic of small versus big government has been relevant since America was founded. It has been known to be Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists, Republicans vs. Democrats, and a variety of other names over the years.

Having a small, central government is something that many conservative and libertarian party members tend to favor. The idea of more personal freedoms and less government involvement is often considered ideal and would speak to the original ideals for the country.

The party that associates with smaller government are Republicans, but they tend to be viewed as hypocritical for this stance. Typically, Republicans are seen to oppose gay marriage, marijuana legalization, and abortion rights, contradicting the idea of the government not making the public’s decisions for them.

The idea of a larger government tends to be linked more towards a Socialist point of view. Larger government would mean more government official intervention in the public or private sector’s day to day life. Many also think of larger government when they think of universal health care and heavier regulations on gun laws and the drug war.

Larger government often scares citizens, sometimes even those who support it. Trusting even more equally flawed humans to create laws, handle nuclear warfare decisions and deal with foreign trade is not something that everyone wants to jump the bandwagon on. Plus, a larger government does not mean only a government of one political party. There would still be Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians in the White House, regardless of the size of the group governing.

While both views have pros and cons, neither is necessarily the way to go. Neither of these sides is concerned with compromise or making people who do not have the same views as them satisfied. So, the idea of a small or large government is just another way for citizens to pick sides. Republican vs. Democrat, Pro-Life vs. Pro Choice, everything and everyone has a side.

In a perfect world, there would be a perfect government, or maybe even no government at all. All one can do is speak up for the ideals and policies they believe in.