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V A NOT E T O TH E READE R M os t American s thin k thei r governmen t i s th e bes t i n th e world . Each of its branches—legislative, executive , and judicial—is an essential component o f th e Constitutio n establishe d b y th e state s mor e tha n tw o centuries ago . Then , afte r th e Civi l War , compromise s regardin g th e nature and scope of the government's powers were reached, giving Americans i n larg e measur e th e governmen t the y hav e today . Nonetheless , many people stil l look at the federal governmen t a s too big, too wasteful , too powerful, an d even evil. Some critic s wan t t o redesig n th e governmen t i n th e traditio n o f Thomas Jefferson ; other s champio n stat e o r individua l rights . Bot h groups, however, see the government a s overgrown and overintrusive an d believe tha t i t shoul d b e recreated . Bu t i s th e federa l governmen t th e sole sourc e o f America's man y ills , as some peopl e insist ? Would Ameri cans want th e governmen t t o give u p it s traditiona l rol e o f providing fo r the nation's general welfare ? I, lik e man y Africa n Americans , vie w America' s governmen t differ ently . Fo r example , I a m suspiciou s o f man y o f it s detractors , especiall y those who , havin g amasse d fortune s a s longtim e insiders , no w see k th e cloak o f reformer. An d becaus e I hav e rea d som e o f Thomas Jefferson' s ix X V A Note t o th e Reade r writings—especially o n blacks ' cognitiv e limitations—I' m skeptica l o f anyone who holds him up as a role model. Some o f th e criticis m o f th e governmen t i s directed a t it s fundin g o f welfare, socia l security , education , healt h care , o r othe r socia l programs , that is , th e government' s withdrawa l o f power . Fewe r complaint s ar e directed a t th e expansio n o f governmen t power . Consider , fo r example , the proposal s t o ba n abortion , t o mak e Englis h th e nation' s officia l lan guage , to prevent flag burning, to permit school prayer, to stiffen crimina l laws and haste n executions , to balance the budget, an d t o repeal affirma tive actio n programs . D o suc h proposal s ad d u p t o les s government ? Would the y reduc e th e nationa l budge t o r the federa l deficit ? O r woul d they simpl y offe r American s a nationa l governmen t wit h a differen t agenda, which is what some would-be reformers want . Such people reall y don't want less national government , the y want one with differen t priori ties : fewer taxe s an d regulation s o n business , fewe r entitlement s fo r th e poor and elderly, more state autonomy, and so on. The poin t i s no t tha t al l criticis m o f th e governmen t i n th e Unite d States is groundless or motivated b y partisan interests . Rather, we simpl y should b e careful t o direct our criticism at real problems, not those that a politician o r special-interes t grou p ha s create d i n orde r t o divid e an d suppress us . Thus, eve n thoug h I to o recogniz e bureaucrati c wast e an d corruption, I would attac k th e problem s o f $300 hammers o r toilet seats , political corruption, an d inefficienc y b y means of reform measure s aime d specifically a t them . I d o no t blam e th e federa l governmen t fo r ever y problem facing America or assume that individual states will resolve them more efficiently . Indeed, man y stat e...

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