Public trust in government to promote the general interest has declined sharply since the early 1960s. Almost all those commenting on the trend see it as detrimental to government's ability to perform. We recognize that up to some level, trust does improve government performance, but beyond that...

The most important cost of saving lives can be that it increases the number of people who die. An interesting case in point concerns government attempts to rescue mountain climbers on Mt. McKinley. Here government agencies are caught in Gordon Tullock's "transitional gains trap." Rescue policy...