Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
202-285-0244
www.freedomandprosperity.org
New CF&P Video Explains Link Between
Corruption and Big Government
(Washington, DC, April 21, 2009) “The main lesson from this video is that influence peddling and other sleazy behavior in Washington is the symptom. The underlying disease is excessive government.” This is Daniel Mitchell’s blunt assessment in a new mini-documentary released today by the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation. Entitled “Want Less Corruption? Shrink the Size of Government,” the video explains how the massive size and scope of government creates opportunities for both legal and illegal corruption. The narrator, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, explains that the typical way that politicians address the issue –passing more laws and regulations – has been completely ineffective. Instead, Mitchell explains, shrinking the size of government is the only way to reduce influence peddling.
Links to the video: Youtube | Metacafe | Dailymotion | imeem | Yahoo | Capitol Hub
“When the government redistributes nearly 25 percent of the country’s annual output and maintains a regulatory apparatus that impacts almost every economic decision, it’s not surprising that lobbyists and special interests are lined up around the corner to influence decisions in Washington,” said Andrew Quinlan the president of CF&P Foundation. “No amount of laws can change this fact. The only answer is smaller government” added Quinlan.
The video notes that for much of our nation’s history, the government was much smaller and so was the level of corruption. As the size of government has grown, so has the frequency of insider dealing and favor swapping.
Executive Summary for the Want Less Corruption? Shrink the Size of Government video:
- Washington is riddled with corruption, much of which actually is legal. The politicians and other insiders claim that more ethics laws and lobbying rules are the solution. Some even say the only answer is campaign finance laws that restrict 1st Amendment rights to fully participate in the political process. This Center for Freedom and Prosperity video explores a different hypothesis and concludes that big government is inherently corrupting.
The following are the links to other CF&P Foundation videos including Tax Competition Primer, Global Flat Tax Revolution, Cutting the U.S. Corporate Income Tax., Promoting Prosperity, Obama’s So-Called Stimulus, a three part series on the Benefits of Tax Havens and a another three-part series on the Laffer Curve.
Link: http://www.freedomandprosperity.org/videos/videos.shtml
Web Links:
Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SovALlOhSg8
Metacafe
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2725515/want_less_corruption_shrink_the_size_of_govern ment/
Dailymotion
http://www.dailymotion.com/CFP2000/video/15195482
Yahoo
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4909191/13077193
Capitol Hub
http://capitolhub.com/video/9121/want-less-corruption-shrink-size-government
For additional comments:
Andrew Quinlan can be reached at 202-285-0244, andy@freedomandprosperity.org
Dan Mitchell can be reached at 202-218-4615, dmitchell@cato.org
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