Milton Friedman in Unintimidated, by Scott Walker

On Government Reform: County level better than state; state better than federal

As conservatives, we believe that as many decisions as possible should be pushed down to the local level. This is not only a matter of efficiency, it is fundamental to our freedoms. As Milton Friedman explains in "Capitalism and Freedom," "If government is to exercise power, better in the county than in the state, better in the state than in Washington. If I do not like what my local community does, be it in sewage disposal, or zoning, or schools, I can move to another local community. If I do not like that my state does, I can move to another. If I do not like what Washington imposes, I have few alternatives in this world of jealous nations."

If we believe in local government, then the last thing we want to do is decimate the ability of local officials to effectively serve their citizens. We want local communities to keep our streets clean, keep our citizens safe, and give our children the best possible education.

Source: Unintimidated, by Scott Walker, p. 23-4 Nov 18, 2013

The above quotations are from Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge by Scott Walker and Marc Thiessen. Click here for other excerpts from Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge by Scott Walker and Marc Thiessen. Click here for other excerpts by Milton Friedman. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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