The Small Government Rating. Can Any State Hit 150?

Originally posted in a LVRJ Forum

Nevada had the lowest number with 43.7 workers per 1,000 residents.

Apples & oranges. The study is based on flawed methodologies. It admits to "analysis limitations".

It depends how you count. I believe Nevada does *not* classify NSHE workers as state employees. Are they "local"? Are they counted at all? What about contractors?

Some states are constitutionally BIG government. Lottery commissions, authorities, income tax, etc. all require public employees of one sort or another to administer them. Larger ratios reflect a big government culture as well as poor fiscal management.

According to the "study", CA rates a 50, NY a 62 and WY an 89. Sound odd?

A government should be "rated" on whether it's as small as it can be. Under our constitution, Nevada small government could be legally had for a biennial budget as low as $80M/yr. That's right. Currently, Nevada spending is running ~$2.8B/yr (in line with revenues).

We rate a 35 (2.8B÷80M).

The lower the # the better. Observant readers would recognize that a purely Socialist state would rate <= 1! My model is incomplete. It needs a second dimension to rate Constitutions for big/small government.

At a minimum, the NSC requires six government functions:

1. Three branches
2. 18 public schools
3. Three UNR applied science departments
4. A militia
5. Mental hospitals (benevolent institutions)
6. Prisons

As a first approximation, NSC rates an unweighted score of 6. Our overall score should be 210 (35x6).

The USC authorizes (scores) ~18 (min/max) powers. The annual US (on) budget is ~$3T, though as a ballpark figure, it could get by on only ~$100B. That's a 30, for an overall score of 540! The former USSR would score (1, >>540).

The more economic-inclined would add a constraint that (6,35) must reasonably equal (35,6). I strongly doubt that any state can beat 150.