In Europe, governments account for 40–50% of GDP (higher in France particularly if you include education). In the U.S., it’s higher than reported when you include local government and recent interventions. A century ago, governments were under 15% of GDP, often less than 5%. A limited-government conservative today is dreaming of what a centralizer was hoping for only a few decades ago.
That got me wondering... how did we get here?
We all know that nowadays, people on both the left and the right instinctively turn to the government to solve their problems. But has it always been this way?
I'm calling on Stackers for book recommendations on the history of peoples' attitudes towards big government.
Now, I'm not looking for libertarian treatises on the dangers of big government, or the efficiency of markets. I know that part already. I am looking for an actual historical piece, ideally starting as far back as the age of the enlightenment or the middle ages if necessary. I want to read about key events, key philosophers, and key technologies that have shaped the path of big government, and how people think about their government, especially in western civilization.