The United States is run by the three branches of the federal government—legislative, judicial and executive—and any power not granted to the federal government is reserved for state governments. State governments are in charge of making state-level and smaller-range decisions, such as those on housing, transportation and the state-specific municipal court. Each state is run and ruled differently based on its own agenda. The size of the government is determined based on how deeply it is involved in its citizens’ lives, and a big government, by definition, refers to a “government or public sector that is considered excessively large or unconstitutionally involved in certain areas of public policy or the private sector.” The areas of concern include welfare, economy, education, defense and security, real estate, energy and industry. All projects are run by taxes, which is why certain people dislike such a system. Small government, on the other hand, restricts the government to only partake in law, defense and foreign affairs, leaving other areas to local governments and interest groups. The necessary size of the government has been a topic of debate between those who want more protection and those who want more freedom and independence. However, in the U.S., we must allow the government to be more involved in its citizens’ lives.

A big government can prevent disparities based on where one lives. State governments and legislatures can establish their own policies and laws, making the quality of life vary severely based on where one lives. Affluent and industrial states with strong leadership are more likely to serve their people sufficiently. Although autonomy should be given to states to a certain extent to accommodate for different racial and economic distributions, all men are created equal and should not be living in segregated conditions.

The failure to establish helpful policies can be prevented by letting the government get more involved in state administration and policymaking. The federal government can help create a frame that makes it easier for state legislatures to enforce policies that are essential to its people’s well-being. A big government can also be effective when initiating long-term development. By placing state governments in charge of more concentrated tasks, the country can initiate projects that require teamwork at the national level, such as economic advancements and reconstruction in impoverished regions. These endeavors are also an efficient way to foster a sense of teamwork and collaboration. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of power from the federal government made it difficult to manage the disease for years, as many people refused to follow national protocols such as wearing masks, social distancing, quarantine and lockdown, getting tested and reporting symptoms—all while stockpiling food and sanitation products. In the case of climate change, the federal government can use its wide range of influence and funds to educate its citizens on the importance of sustainability and environment preservation and to initiate policies and regulations that reduce pollution. Many people opposed the idea of the government forcing them to forfeit their liberty and bear discomfort. However, such agendas are essential to ensure basic human rights and cannot be achieved just at the state and county level.

A big government can prevent the dangerous impact of private businesses. Although lobbying is a legal and effective way to influence policymakers, it is highly likely that the interest groups with the most funds and power benefit more than the general public, which can lead to devastating results. In contrast, incidents where government action is needed to protect the rights of the majority population may not pass through due to insufficient resources and the state government being swayed by politics and traditional disputes. For example, when the government has limited control over the regulation of costs, healthcare facilities, pharmacies and insurance companies can charge unreasonable prices for their services and products, making it difficult for patients to acquire proper care. Despite the presence of Medicare and Medicaid, they are not enough to meet everyone’s needs due to the lack of allocated funds because of objections from taxpayers regarding increasing coverage. Having a big government can give legislatures the ability to gather more support toward expanding welfare policies such as healthcare, education, safety and infrastructure designed for the well-being of its people. It can also prevent powerful interest groups from sacrificing those with less power for their prosperity.

Understandably, people do not like the government making them forfeit their hard-earned income in the form of taxes to redistribute it to less fortunate people. It is also understandable that people distrust the government’s ability to manage such a large nation. However, the U.S. is one country, not a union of 51 different countries, so everybody should be governed by the same equal and consistent rules.