US Presidency
1962

It is even possible, some think, that this trend may continue. But does it follow from this that big government is growing relatively bigger? It does not, for the fact is for the last 15 years, the Federal Government, and also the Federal debt, and also the Federal bureaucracy, have grown less rapidly than the economy as a whole. If we leave defense and space expenditures aside, the Federal Government since the Second World War has expanded less than any other major sector of our national life, less than industry, less than commerce, less than agriculture, less than higher education, and very much less than the noise about big government. The truth about big government is the truth about any other great activity, it is complex. Certainly it is true that size brings dangers, but it is also true that size can bring benefits.