Published: August 12, 2019
The greatest period of charitable activity occurred in the 19th century, when government spending was small as share of the economy. However, once the government spending grew, it diminished the incentives for individuals to give voluntarily. When people believe the government should take care of those in need, charitable giving falls.
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
The greatest charitable activity occurred in the 19 th century when government was small.
When total government spending was 10% of the national income federal state and local...
that’s when you had Carnegie establish the public libraries...
that’s when you had the private charitable hospitals put up...
that’s when the Red Cross started...
that’s when the Boy Scouts started.
What’s happened is as the government has gotten bigger and bigger
it has destroyed the incentives for individuals voluntarily to engage in activity.
If you look at what happens to people’s contribution these days,
a hundred years ago those contributions would have gone the person to charities to help people in the main.
Now it goes to museums to symphonies to similar things.
Why? Because we say the government is taking care of that.
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