Dependent on D.C.: The Rise of Federal Control Over the Lives of Ordinary Americans

The shift from personal autonomy to dependence on government is perhaps the defining characteristic of 20th century American politics. This volume describes both how it happened and why it has been tolerated. The author clearly shows how government-designed increases in the private costs of resisting government expansion have spawned the changed institutions and new ideologies that now determine America's future. One example of this, which Twight charts, was the development of the government system of income tax withholding. Originally publicized by the government as convenience for the public, it has proven to be the method by which over taxation is made possible, and resistance to that over taxation, impossible. "Dependent on D.C." providesa new interpretation of some of the most important and timely issues facing Americans on the 21st century.