By Ted Schwartz

If you tune in to politics recently, you are encouraged to take sides in a false dichotomy. You are asked to choose between the people who believe in the free market and the people who believe in government (AKA “Socialism”). This is an absurd choice as both paths would lead to total destruction. Unfettered free markets are not in place to deal with long term societal issues. The government is not in place to deliver optional goods and services to people in an efficient manner. So, fortunately, we have a hybrid system that attempts to carve out a middle ground that allows us to muddle through. So, the real question for this and every election is, what is the optimal mix going forward of government and capitalism.

Free market capitalism seems to be the optimal system to provide goods and services to people. As its focus is primarily on profitability, a layer of regulation is necessary to protect the health and welfare of the public. Too much regulation can harm the market system and too little leads to toxic excesses (see 2008!).

The government’s main role is to look after society’s best interests now and in the future. That includes many complex and unprofitable tasks (how do we protect people from fire, workplace safety, what goods and services should we provide to poor children, how do we protect the earth for future generations, what infrastructure is needed to support the private sector).  These big picture items are beyond the scope of the market economy. Some tasks offer no hope of profit ever and some offer no current profit so will be shirked by the market economy.

Both the government and the private sector have a tendency towards waste and excess if left to their own devices. We, the voters and taxpayers, are charged with closely monitoring these systems, serving as a check and balance to unfettered power, and ultimately choosing where we should set the mix of government and private enterprise to maximize outcomes. It is a very tough and very important decision that we face, but it is not the decision bandied about on television and in the media.