Could you please define, 'big government' for me? Big social programs? Larger control over your lives?

Because I consider the Patriot Act, 'big government.'

The Republcians always say they want to end "big government". The Dems never say they want "big government". I think the size of government is irrelevant in terms of big or small. We just need to have one big enough to have teeth.

Government is neither good nor bad. It's just the instrument to act collectively.

Still, the Pew report can be read two ways. One that Democrat skepticism is growing and is an opportunity for a permanent Republican majority OR that this current faith in government portends rising Dem fortunes. Because Bush was reelected I tend to think the Dems have to realize how important marketing is. This poll indicates the door is open if someone will walk through.

The "big government" meme has always been deceitful and overblown. I'm glad it's finally running out of steam. I lived in San Diego for a few years, and can assure you that local governments are just as capable of being corrupt and inefficient as "big government". The Mayor and City Council of San Diego are less responsive to citizen input than the L.A. Mayor and City Council.

Halliburton and Enron have demonstrated pretty conclusively that the private sector is not necessarily more efficient than the government. Democrats would be wise not to mention this poll, but just assume that it defined the new political reality. Don't try to persuade Republicans or conservatives, just act "as if".

Big government and intrusive government go hand in hand if you are talking about a police state.

The analysis that people think the government can be a positive force is not equivilant to people wanting a larger government.

There are many people who are skeptical and suspicious of big government for good reasons. I don't think anyone who is sensible likes the ideas of massive deficits and a govenment that lives well beyond its means.

The conservatives used to want to cut programs  and taxes while the democrats wanted to increase taxes to pay for more programs. Now, the republicans are afraid to cut because they want to win (there is that awful partisanship again) and keep their position.

The democrats have a great oppurtunity to be not for big government, but sound government. They should attack the excesses of the republicans' budget and offer something better.

Under Reagan and GW Bush spending represents a greater percentage of Gross Demestic Product than revenue a lower percent of GDP and each year the percent of spending went up about 20% under Reagan and the Bush while revenue went down as a percent of GDP.  Under Clinton revenue was a larger percentages of GDP than spending as a percent of GDP and spending as a percent of GDP went down each year under Clinton.  

It's not about big or small government it's about the role of government.  Republicans just try to spend, spend, spend, and bankrupt the federal government so they can use it as an excuse to eliminate Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, benifits for Veterans, Public Education, assistance for higher education, the EPA, Clean Air and Water act, the Right to form a Union, and so on and so forth.

shall NOT perish from the Earth!

to realtime public scrutiny..

All laws given to lawmakers for review, could also be given to the public via the net, in real time..

There should be government-run blogs for people to input comments, which would become part of the public record..

All lobbyists should be required to make all their presentations to all.. and not behind closed doors..

Thats something almost every sane individual would support...

dont you agree?

or the left generally abandon sound government, there will surely be a centrist third party movement in '08 if not '06. There seems to be a disconnect somewhere when people stress repeatedly that they want to win, then advocate positions that currently and historically lead to losing.

Just as only Nixon could go to China, only a Republican can safely run deficits. Why? Because people trust them. Until the democrats can be trusted, they will have an electoral millstone around their necks. How do you earn trust? By acting and speaking consistantly, for one. Also, people are on the alert for democrat deceptions. They won't tolerate a mistake by a democrat, while they let pass egregious sins of the republicans.

I can only speculate why this is, but it is a reality. The democrats have been pounding the fiscal responsibility theme since 1990, why they would quit on the doorstep of a true change in america's psyche is beyond my comprehension: perhaps old habits do die hard.

Isn't government's expansion the reason that Democrats and Republicans hate each other?  With small limited intervention in government you get what you want by providing goods and services that benefit others but in economies with large government you get what you want by becoming an elected official, or by electing someone that will force others to pay for what you want. When Republicans win Democrats complain about how spending is apportioned and vice versa. Without big government the individual determines what causes to put his resources toward.  If we didn't pay taxes that would mean you would have more money that you would be responsible for to help the poor, provide for arts programs, do studies on social injustice, or any other thing you felt was important. As is we just fight about how the government should use their resources and whoever wins gets to force people to pay for the things they feel are important.  The question is not whether big government is efficient, government can be efficient, but it can rarely be fair.