The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer

by Dean Baker

In his new book, economist Dean Baker debunks the myth that conservatives favor the market over government intervention. In fact, conservatives rely on a range of "nanny state" policies that ensure the rich get richer while leaving most Americans worse off. It's time for the rules to change. Sound economic policy should harness the market in ways that produce desirable social outcomes - decent wages, good jobs and affordable health care. Dean Baker is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Genres: Economics, Politics, Nonfiction, Business, Audiobook, History, Political Science

113 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2006

About the author

https://deanbakerpoetryandsongs.com

"Dean is a combination of thought and torment that has made him write more than a baker's dozen of fine poems.. he might produce a collection that could astound us all." - Irving Layton
Irving Layton is one of Canada's foremost poets, nominated twice for the Nobel Prize for Literature; teacher, friend and mentor to Leonard Cohen, and the man to whom Leonard dedicated his latest book.
My poetry has appeared in hundreds of literature magazines world wide, recorded, and online.

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people I know realize that the so-called conservatives who run this country aren't really for small government, they just want government to be small when it comes to helping poor and middle-class people. They are all for big government when it comes to helping out large corporations and the super - rich.

But sometimes it is hard to follow the arguments all the way through. This slim little volume helps you do that, so when you have to deal with right-wing Uncle Fred or Aunt Dorothy at Thanksgiving this year, if you read this book you will have your arguments all down pat. Baker explains how the Fed works to support the rich by manipulating the interest rate (haven't you often wondered what the prime interest rate really means to you?), why doctors are well paid and dishwashers are poor (nothing to do with school really), why CEOs get paid so much, the sacred cow of small business, how patents really screw us but keep big pharma happy, etc. Easy reading but intelligent, this book gives the facts behind ideas you probably have sort of figured out for yourself but not completely.

Actually, you can download the whole book and read it online from http://www.conservativenannystate.org/ if you can stand to read that way, but the book is really cheap - $7 I think, and well worth it.

[Melissa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly recommend this book to all liberals, as well as for conservatives who don't mind some constructive criticism. Lays out a number of ways in which both Democrats and Republicans create mechanisms to subsidize the wealthy, while portraying the lower and middle-classes as parasitic ne'er-do-wells. Topics include farm subsidies, the privilege of limited liability granted by corporation status, and the manipulation of the federal funds rate by the Fed, among others. Sounds dry, but it is a quick read, and the arguments are well-supported with facts and easy to understand. The downside to this is that it is a tad simplistic. This may not be a book of answers, but it is a book of excellent questions. If American conservatives are free-market, then why do we spend so much on welfare programs for the rich?

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has one purpose: to combat the idea of "Liberals like government intervention, conservatives like market solutions". In fact, most conservatives like government intervention, but not for social safety nets; instead, they want the government to help distribute income to some of society's most well-off members.

The book is easy to read, and makes its case quite well. As one example of government intervention that conservatives typically like, the book mentions trade agreements that limit skilled labor immigration and enforce patent and copyright protection, but reduce barriers to the transfer of manufacturing jobs. Baker lays out a number of similar examples that serve the same purpose.

I wish more people would read this book; as a society, we would be more effective in debating issues and setting policies if we collectively abandoned false political mythologies.

[Bruce Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice little primer on how the wealthy use the government to subvert free market capitalism and cause wealth to redistributed upward on a grand scale (not down as conservative mythology would have you believe). The book is short (107 p.) and clearly written. If economics plays any role in how you vote; this book is a must read. The author, Dean Baker, an economist at the Center for Economic Policy, also has an excellent blog, Beat the Press, which critiques news articles covering economic issues.

[Ed [Redacted] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly interesting book concluding that American conservatives, rather than being against government intervention like they claim, are actually only in favor of government intervention which further enriches the wealthy. The book has some good arguments (and some weak ones) but is fairly forgettable in the end.

[Arbraxan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple piece of conventional wisdom underlies much of political commentary: conservatives favor market outcomes, whereas progressives favor government intervention. Dean Baker's book "The Conservative Nanny State" is based on a thought-provoking denial of this premise. Instead, Baker argues that both conservatives and liberals support big government (i.e., a "nanny state"), albeit in very different ways. Whereas conservatives use the government to maintain and further increase the concentration of income and wealth among the already wealthy, liberals use it to redistribute income and wealth from the top to the bottom, from the rich to the poor. He goes on to list various areas - e.g. occupational licensing, bankruptcy laws, tort reform, copyright and patent laws, tax restrictions - where conservatives have pushed for legislation shielding the wealthy. The book is written from an openly progressive perspective and takes for granted the ethical premise that economic inequality is bad and redistribution necessary. Overall, I thought that Baker was more convincing in his analysis of the problems than regarding the solutions he suggests.

[Julien · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been staunchly anti-capitalist for a while, but my worldview and political analysis grew and shifted dramatically when I was fully able to digest the scope of market structuring and legislative manipulation that facilitates wealth accumulation. What I mean is that, I will never entertain "free market vs. government intervention" debates again so long as I live after reading this book. Dean Baker is not rigidly ideological. He flies above low lying fruit in debate to make simple and astute points that deny the need for ideological debate at all. The point is that there is nothing free or laissez faire about what we call global capitalism. His point that markets are a benign tool that can be structured equally, or not, is well taken. He points out exactly how and explains effortlessly how our markets are simply being structured, well, to not be markets at all. They are structured, with the help of the Nanny State, to funnel wealth and income in one absolute direction. When you read American history, you realize, there never has been - but Dean's book underscores the myriad of ways in which rigid market structure and legal manipulation - through state control - is building modern wealth by taking it from the most vulnerable.

[Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting reading this is 2021 when the "progressive" left seems to be using the same playbook, picking their own winners and losers at the expense of the lower and middle class, all while hypocritically proclaiming to be for the same demographic they are destroying.

[K H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives free market/freedom of choice framing to progressive politics and lays out how the current system is shaped by intentional government policies, a well-written and thought-provoking read.

[Kristi Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free book I was able to get from Audible.com. I learned a lot of information from this book but it really isn't my favorite subject, so I found it difficult to absorb all the information.

The premise of the book is the Conservatives in the United States have been able to frame the discussions on budget by claiming that they want less government, and the Liberals want more. In reality both want as much government, it's just the Conservative's want their government to protect the business interests and the 1% with tax breaks, protectionism and corporate welfare. The Liberals want the government to help the middle class and poor.

Things that did soak through my addled brain were:
1. We need to stand up to the Conservatives and re frame the discussion on their "less government" stance.
2. One of the reasons our healthcare system is in trouble is the salaries paid to doctors are higher than any where else in the world and the fact the government frowns on too many doctors from other countries practicing here. Same for lawyers and CEO's salaries are out the roof.
3. Mr. Baker wants to do away with patents and install a system of vouchers so entrepreneurs can be paid for their work. (Didn't understand where the money would come from, but understand the idea that people like Bill Gates made an exorbitant profit from his patents.)

The best part of this book is the new ideas that are coming to change the way we do business. I am not sure if they will all work but I welcome the innovation.

I enjoyed the narration and liked the way the footnotes were handled.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Government regulations, state enforced monopolies, and protectionism, have effectively obstructed free market outcomes, restricted free trade, and have resulted in a significant and very deliberate redistribution of income and wealth... upwards. If this description of conservative policies enacted over the past several decades seems counter-intuitive, then that is just an illustration of how effective conservatives have been at dictating the terms of discussion.

When liberals acknowledge that they prefer more government involvement and regulation of the economy, whereas conservatives prefer less government and more market based solutions, they have effectively adopted the conservative framing of the argument. And economist Dean Baker turns this narrative on its head by showing how heavy government involvement in the economy, and the obstruction of market based outcomes, is essential to conservative economic policies. This book is a short and concise read on the topic and provides a unique perspective on the policies that have lead us into our present Gilded Age.

[Andrew Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid little book. It confirms what most people already know (or should know) but should serve as a first point of reference to shout down anyone who says "conservatives just want to get government out of your lives!" This is nonsense of course, they just want government less involved where it can help the poor, and disadvantaged groups. They love big government where it helps the rich and privileged groups. Liberals and leftists need to stop framing the argument as "conservatives like the market, liberals like government." This framing just helps the nanny state conservatives.

I would even go further than this, and say historically the left have been the ones who are more anti-state than the right. On the far left there are anarchists and communists, (based around the idea of a stateless, classless society) and on the far right are fascists and monarchists. People on the left need to stop accepting the debate as "we like the government, they like the market." You can't win that fight. And this book shows this.

[David]

My dad reads this guy's blog so that gives it some extra street-cred as a substatial source of info. Its some bust-the-wealthy economics.

This was so short and so informative! Prof Baker makes very clear the instances where our economy is set up to encourage free trade, such as for most blue collar jobs but is protectionist of the white collar (through restricitve licensing or patent laws). He really nails at the idea that the neoConservative agenda is full of the rhetoric of having a less regulated market when in reality there are strategic regulations that encourage money to flow upward. He describes how the Fed sets interest rates, alternatives and problems with copyright and patent laws, the initial intention of corporations, how wealthy tax evaders persist, and FINALLY well considered alternatives.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was reminiscent of those late nights with a lot of wine, and there is one guest that is pedantic and "soapboxy" who won't stop loudly proclaiming his opinions. Not all of the connections connect, and some of his facts stretch pretty far. In spite of that, I gave this book three stars because he did manage to make me think about some issues in a totally different way. For example, why are small businesses treated as a sacred cow by liberals and conservatives alike? Should they be? Should the government make restitution when property values go down? Why do credit companies get bailed out when a lendee defaults? This was an interesting book, in spite of the slightly drunken tone.

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short review: This is alternative economics. A liberal economist that is more free markets on some issues that most conservatives, but not on others. The real strength of this book is way that it frames economic issues differently than how most other economists do. Most of the policy suggestions are not politically viable, but it does show there are options. If you are a liberal, read this for a different perspective on how to be liberal but still support the free market. If you are conservative, read this to show some weaknesses in how conservative policy actually gets worked out in the US. No matter who you are you will think that the author is off the wall at least part of the time.

Full review on my blog at http://www.mrshields.com/the-conserva...

[Fate's Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of useful information about the economy and the government's role in it in this book, but while there was plenty to learn, there was also a lot of snark and sarcasm that really didn't help me to take the subject seriously (or maybe that was just the tone of the narrator, in which case the fault doesn't lie with the author. Hard to say.) and some of the arguments made it sound like the wealthy are directly attacking the working classes, whereas it seems more reasonable that the damage is at least some of time time done more through apathy than malice. Some of the arguments were very compelling, others were much weaker, but overall it was worthwhile to try to understand a little more about how current government practices subsidize wealth.

[King Rat]

Baker’s argument is that the conservative vision depends as much or more on government intervention in the market than the liberal vision does. The book is pretty convincing in making that argument. Examples include deliberate trade policy geared toward the wealthy, "small business" incentives, and intellectual property laws that create property rights out of thin air. Baker does a bang-up job poking holes in the conservative myths as well as pointing out many of the problems with our governments economic policies. ( Full review at my blog)

[Anascape Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. I can't say I agreed with absolutely every piece of this book, but overall it is a remarkable primer on political economics. This is a great time for thoughtful Americans to start questioning our assumptions about the market. What potential solutions are we routinely dismissing? That is one of the best things about this book: it offers SOLUTIONS, which are so often missing from books that question the status quo.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the great conservative myths of the Cold War was that conservatives like small government. Conservatives have always bloated the state and used it to enrich themselves, all while having the gall to denounce democrats as socialists. When thinking of conservatism vs. liberalism, the question is simply which state socialism do you want? In this book, Baker does a grand job showing how conservatives continue to use the state to hold onto wealth and get richer. It's a short,clear read.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took a very interesting premise I.E. that modern conservatives do not want a small government as much as a government that keeps them rich. Unfortunately it didn't do a very good job selling it's premise, a lot of it is conjecture of motives inferred from actions. With that being said, some sections stand out to me as being particularly well thought through such as the efficiency of the patent system.

[Lee]

An awesome, savage attack on conservative "protectionism." Some of his chapters could have stood to be longer and more detailed in their arguments. Baker is too quick, I think, to dismiss criticism of markets, though he is clearly not a "free market" type, even as he mocks conservatives who claim to be pro-market for not living up to their own supposed ideals. Conservative nanny state, indeed.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

a brief polemic whose goal is thwart well-worn meme that conservatives favor small government. baker outlines the numerous circumstances where conservatives are all for government - as long as it happens to disproportionately reward the well off.

[Jeff Hauser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and powerful, Baker does a great job of shredding the unnoticed assumptions of contemporary "capitalism" in which the most effective rent-seekers hide in plain sight. (non-fiction version of Mieville's City & the City?)

Provocative and with little to no fat, a must read.

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Available for free by the author here:http://deanbaker.net/images/stories/d...


"The attitude of the nanny state conservatives toward tax evasion can be difficult to follow for those who both pay their taxes and know arithmetic."

Go Baker.

[Samantha M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ha, of course this was written by a guy who got his doctorate from the University of Michigan. His anger and derision for "conservatives" is obvious to the point of distraction. However, I found his arguments fascinating and compelling.

[Michael Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to young readers who are interested in politics. The book comes from an economist's view of the Conservative party and makes arguments that the conservative government officials truly actually take opposite views of economic policy.

[Dan Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Capitalism has been subverted into something it was never meant to be by a few hell-bent to control all the marbles

[Jim Ader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas, but over the top. Narration was mechanical and stilted making very difficult to listen too.

[David Kaib · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every progressive should read this book. And you can get it for free on line.

[Andrew Obrigewitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at modern politics and some it's biggest contradictions.