On its face, “cutting government spending” sounds to most people like a good idea. Even “cutting public spending” doesn’t sound too bad.
But what do we cut when we cut government, or public, spending? We don’t just cut the disbursement of funds. We cut what those funds purchase. And what do they purchase? They purchase goods and services. National parks. The U.S. Navy. Some slight assurance that our air, food, and pharmaceuticals won’t poison us. Public safety (not “government safety”). Education. Highways. Air traffic control. Bridges that don’t fall down. Enforcement of the rules that make a “free market” free, sort of. Basic research. The Smithsonian.