I think it is interesting because similar % GDP seems to be treated steady state function of government, not one that inherently expansive. For those of us tha

I think it is interesting because similar % GDP seems to be treated steady state function of government, not one that inherently expansive. For those of us that have been around for a while, it seems shocking that real, inflation controlled government taxes and spending per capitia is >2x that of the 80's, because experientially, many of the services seems no different, if not in decline. I also think it is interesting to think about what government duties become more and less difficult to maintain with growth, and the implications for what types of objectives the government is well and poorly suited to achieve. I think the Baumol effect is a helpful lens for exploring this, so I think you.