Libertarianism and the Welfare State Essay

Thus the dependence of so many people on government handouts is very soon to reach a point of crisis and possible social unrest.

Welfare Statism is not only a manifestly politically unjust system. It is also a wholly unsustainable one from the perspective of political economy. It is based upon expanding budgets and a continually young and growing population. In a society like America where the average age and life expectancy is getting higher every year, welfare programs are a recipe for utter and complete financial collapse. In addition to not really helping the already existing poor, the Welfare State can only add to their numbers. Libertarianism seeks to highlight that fact and return the country to its original political system and ideology: classical liberalism.Works Cited

Edwards, James Ralph. "Economics, Politics, and the Coming Collapse of the Elderly Welfare

State." Journal of Libertarian Studies 17:1 (2003): 1-16.

Gottfried, Paul Edward. After Liberalism: Mass Democracy in the Managerial State. Princeton:

Princeton University Press, 1999.

Hayek, F.A. The Road to Serfdom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1944.

Nock, Christopher John. "The Welfare State: An Affront to Freedom?" Canadian Journal of Political Science 21:4 (1988): 757-769.

Rothbard, Murray N. "Origins of the Welfare State in America." Journal of Libertarian Studies

12:2 (1996): 193-232.

Sennholz, Hans F. "Why is Medical Care So Expensive?" 22 August 2006. Ludwig von Mises

Institute Website. 28 April 2010 http://mises.org/daily/2285.

Sunstein, Cass R. & Richard….....