I admit as a graduate student in a political science department in the nation's capital that this may sound like a dumb question, but I feel the need to get back to the basics. Here goes:

How do we actually reduce the size of government?

Through discussion with my fellow libertarian bloggers and review of political science literature, I believe I have found a general concensus that A) bureaucracies and entitlements tend to expand and B) we should work to shrink those bureaucracies and entitlements. The volume of thinking on topics A and B is enormous and reflects some real ingenuity on the part of the libertarian community. There is also plenty of work done on the social and political mechanisms that cause government "expansion" and work to prevent "reduction."

The problem is that there is very little (if any) work done on how to actually overcome expansionist tendencies and actually get to the reduction part. Are there any logical mechanisms that can counteract the organizational logic of Max Weber? Have public policy experts devised policy strategies that reduce government programs? In all of my political science and public policy experience, I can think of no examples that answer either question.

Without actually coming up with solutions, are we the band that is playing on the sinking Titanic? were politicians like Barry Goldwater or William Proxmire just rearranging the deck chairs on that sinking ship? I don't know, but I would like to see the thoughts of my fellow bloggers. I mean, you can't have a "Red vs. Expert" about what shape public policy should be a government reformed along libertarian lines without giving the Reds and the Experts the power (and ability) to change things.