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NameProfessorClass4/10/2018 How to Balance the Federal Budget: A Minarchist PerspectiveIn the Frontline video on the Fiscal Cliff, we become aware of a very real problem. The problem is just as relevant now as it was under Obama: the United States is over 21 trillion dollars in debt and climbing (US Debt Clock.org). How did this happen? We must admit that the Iraq War was part of it, costing about 2.4 trillion dollars. However, we must admit that even this is but a small fraction of the overall debt. If we look at U.S. spending as a whole, the entire budget for the fiscal year of 2013 is 3.45 trillion dollars (House Budget Committee, 10). The Obama administration, for some reason, decided that raising taxes was the only solution to the problem. However, Paul Ryan and the new Republicans disagreed. They pointed out another possible solution: to cut spending.The Federal budget for 2013 consists of 625 billion for Defense, 808 billion for Social Security, 492 billion for Medicare, 265 billion for Medicaid, 221 billion just as interest on the debt, 576 billion is non defense discretionary, and 467 billion is in “other mandatory” which consists largely of welfare programs (House Budget Committee, 10). In reality, most of these categories of spending are socialist programs. The fundamental problem and disagreement is that no one is sure what the role of government is. Obama and the Democrats have been wanting to expand the size of government by increasing spending and raising taxes to pay for the programs they promote.

Republicans generally have not believed in the same programs, but some have been just as guilty of government waste. The Iraq War is now an example where both parties agree there was massive waste. If I were elected in Congress, I would actually be more radical than the new Republicans, I would propose the largest spending cuts in history.Libertarians sometimes debate about the role of government, some believe in an Anarcho-Capitalist system where there is no government and no taxes. We will not go that far, but we will look at the role of government and which programs are really necessary. My new proposed budget should save at least 2 trillion dollars per fiscal year looking at the 2013 budget as an example. We ought to cut every single program except for Defense and public education. The money will be saved by not being spent on programs that are not necessary for a government to have. The definition of Minarchism is a belief in the smallest amount of government. It is not the role of government to provide any kind of socialist welfare program. Charity is the role of a free market and virtually every service is more efficient under a free market. The biggest problem for such a budget would be public support, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. Republicans have been winning more in recent years and adopting a more libertarian approach toward government. Every time we see a Republican attempting to cut wasteful spending, that is a libertarian ideal. Military spending will be kept because national defense is an obvious necessity, that is most commonly agreed upon. It may be possible to privatize education, but there is not yet a practical solution. As for every other issue, why can it not be privatized? Why must something be paid for by taxes when taxation is theft? Many Americans may be deeply affected by such cuts, but such cuts are necessary. What happens to a man who is dependent on welfare? The man does not become independent, he becomes weaker due to his dependency. Works CitedUS Debt Clock.org. 2018. http://www.usdebtclock.org/. House Budget Committee. http://budget.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fy15_budget_charts.pdf.