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Dependent on D.C.: The Rise of Federal Control over the Lives of Ordinary Americans
Dependent on D.C. is a compelling new book that raises serious questions about the future of liberty in America. Charlotte A. Twight proves beyond doubt that the growth of dependence on government in the past seventy years has not been accidental, that its creation has been bipartisan, and that it is accelerating. She reveals a universal tactic used by federal officials to expand government authority over the lives of all Americans and exposes the many forms this tactic has taken. Twight shows how growing federal power--driven by legislation, validated by Supreme Court decisions, and accelerated by presidential ambition--has eroded the rule of law in our nation, leaving almost no activity that the central government cannot at its discretion regulate, manipulate, or prohibit. A constitutional counterrevolution has occurred in America--one so profound that few today can imagine Americans free of dependence on government. Dependent on D.C. shows why Americans have not resisted this expansion of federal power and reveals the daunting magnitude of the changes needed to reverse our nation's spiral into dependency. In these uncertain times, Dependent on D.C. is the book Americans need to read when thinking about the future of their individual liberty in a country long committed to the ideal of personal freedom.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 12, 2002
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 15, 2018
May 2014 - More than half way through (pg 228 of 336. An excellent look at the growth of the federal government, how and why it has been a one-way trip of ever-increasing growth in size and scope; the importance of deceptive language in gaining acceptance of government programs; the role of persistence and of exploiting insecurities and fears; culminating with the fact the programs created to address vulnerability actually end up increasing that vulnerability and thus dependence on government for security.
July 2014 - Programs covers include Social Security, the income tax, public education, and Medicare. Had to set this book aside to work on other matters but I really want to get back to it, finish it, and then read it a second time in order to see if I can construct a way to talk about these programs that reverses the deceptive language which makes them feel so acceptable.
Example: Medicare is called "insurance," and recipients are "beneficiaries" who pay "premiums." this lends the program an undeserved legitimacy: people think they are receiving a service they have paid for instead of viewing the program more accurately as a 100% tax-supported wealth redistribution program that has nothing to do with insurance.
Jan. 2015 Update - Want to finish this book but other priorities have taken over for now.
July 2014 - Programs covers include Social Security, the income tax, public education, and Medicare. Had to set this book aside to work on other matters but I really want to get back to it, finish it, and then read it a second time in order to see if I can construct a way to talk about these programs that reverses the deceptive language which makes them feel so acceptable.
Example: Medicare is called "insurance," and recipients are "beneficiaries" who pay "premiums." this lends the program an undeserved legitimacy: people think they are receiving a service they have paid for instead of viewing the program more accurately as a 100% tax-supported wealth redistribution program that has nothing to do with insurance.
Jan. 2015 Update - Want to finish this book but other priorities have taken over for now.
June 7, 2012
One of the most influential books for my political philosophy and knowledge of 20th century U.S. history. Twight does her research with precision and thoroughness that demonstrates her commitment to scholarship and intellectual analysis. Twight brings to light the unashamed growth of the U.S. government in the 20th century and, based on analysis from Tocqueville and Bastiat among others, warns about the impending dangers that this will bring to American society. A worthwhile read.
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May 18, 2025**Dependent on D.C.: The Rise of Federal Control Over the Lives of Ordinary Americans** by Charlotte A. Twight is a detailed critique of the growing centralization of political power in the United States and its impact on personal freedom and self-governance. Twight, a political economist and libertarian scholar, explores how federal programs—often introduced under the guise of helping citizens—gradually erode individual autonomy and increase dependency on government institutions.
The book outlines how federal control has expanded incrementally through regulatory manipulation, information control, and bureaucratic complexity. Twight argues that this shift often occurs subtly, creating systems in which citizens are enticed or coerced into compliance, often without full understanding of the trade-offs involved.
Key takeaways and actionable ideas:
* Federal control expands through incrementalism
* Large shifts in power rarely happen all at once—they’re introduced in gradual, politically palatable stages
* Policies often begin as voluntary or limited programs and later become mandatory or all-encompassing
* Public resistance is minimized when change appears incremental and technical
* Information control is a primary tool of power
* The government often obscures the true costs and implications of programs through complex language and hidden regulations
* Lack of transparency prevents informed public debate and weakens democratic accountability
* Simplification and clarity are essential for citizen empowerment
* Dependency creates political leverage
* As citizens become reliant on federal programs (e.g., Social Security, Medicare, federal education funding), their ability to resist further control diminishes
* Dependency shifts the relationship from citizen-as-sovereign to subject-as-beneficiary
* This fosters political compliance and undermines local governance and personal responsibility
* Regulatory complexity obscures consent
* Complex rules and procedures make it difficult for individuals to understand or challenge policy
* Compliance often occurs without true awareness of how much control has been ceded
* Streamlining regulation and increasing transparency are necessary for informed consent
* The IRS, education, and healthcare systems are case studies in federal overreach
* Tax code complexity enables enforcement discretion and fear-based compliance
* Federal involvement in education shifts curricular control away from local communities and parents
* Healthcare policy centralizes decision-making and incentivizes institutional rather than personal choices
* Constitutional limits have eroded
* The expansion of federal power often bypasses original constitutional intent
* The commerce clause, general welfare clause, and necessary and proper clause have been interpreted broadly to justify expansive authority
* Reaffirming federalism and state sovereignty is essential to restoring constitutional balance
* The appearance of choice can be deceptive
* Programs marketed as optional or flexible often create conditions where non-participation is impractical or penalized
* This manufactured consent undermines real autonomy and democratic participation
* Vigilance and skepticism are crucial in evaluating federal incentives
* Cultural attitudes toward government have shifted
* A growing belief in government as problem-solver erodes the ethic of self-reliance and civic responsibility
* Media, education, and political discourse often reinforce dependency narratives
* Reinvigorating the principles of individual liberty requires cultural as well as institutional change
* Restoring freedom requires political and personal action
* Citizens must demand transparency, reject paternalism, and insist on accountability
* Decentralization, personal responsibility, and civic engagement are key to reversing dependency
* Education about constitutional limits and individual rights is essential for future generations
*Dependent on D.C.* presents a compelling and cautionary argument about how power accumulates at the federal level—often with little resistance—and why reclaiming individual liberty and local control requires awareness, engagement, and structural reform.
The book outlines how federal control has expanded incrementally through regulatory manipulation, information control, and bureaucratic complexity. Twight argues that this shift often occurs subtly, creating systems in which citizens are enticed or coerced into compliance, often without full understanding of the trade-offs involved.
Key takeaways and actionable ideas:
* Federal control expands through incrementalism
* Large shifts in power rarely happen all at once—they’re introduced in gradual, politically palatable stages
* Policies often begin as voluntary or limited programs and later become mandatory or all-encompassing
* Public resistance is minimized when change appears incremental and technical
* Information control is a primary tool of power
* The government often obscures the true costs and implications of programs through complex language and hidden regulations
* Lack of transparency prevents informed public debate and weakens democratic accountability
* Simplification and clarity are essential for citizen empowerment
* Dependency creates political leverage
* As citizens become reliant on federal programs (e.g., Social Security, Medicare, federal education funding), their ability to resist further control diminishes
* Dependency shifts the relationship from citizen-as-sovereign to subject-as-beneficiary
* This fosters political compliance and undermines local governance and personal responsibility
* Regulatory complexity obscures consent
* Complex rules and procedures make it difficult for individuals to understand or challenge policy
* Compliance often occurs without true awareness of how much control has been ceded
* Streamlining regulation and increasing transparency are necessary for informed consent
* The IRS, education, and healthcare systems are case studies in federal overreach
* Tax code complexity enables enforcement discretion and fear-based compliance
* Federal involvement in education shifts curricular control away from local communities and parents
* Healthcare policy centralizes decision-making and incentivizes institutional rather than personal choices
* Constitutional limits have eroded
* The expansion of federal power often bypasses original constitutional intent
* The commerce clause, general welfare clause, and necessary and proper clause have been interpreted broadly to justify expansive authority
* Reaffirming federalism and state sovereignty is essential to restoring constitutional balance
* The appearance of choice can be deceptive
* Programs marketed as optional or flexible often create conditions where non-participation is impractical or penalized
* This manufactured consent undermines real autonomy and democratic participation
* Vigilance and skepticism are crucial in evaluating federal incentives
* Cultural attitudes toward government have shifted
* A growing belief in government as problem-solver erodes the ethic of self-reliance and civic responsibility
* Media, education, and political discourse often reinforce dependency narratives
* Reinvigorating the principles of individual liberty requires cultural as well as institutional change
* Restoring freedom requires political and personal action
* Citizens must demand transparency, reject paternalism, and insist on accountability
* Decentralization, personal responsibility, and civic engagement are key to reversing dependency
* Education about constitutional limits and individual rights is essential for future generations
*Dependent on D.C.* presents a compelling and cautionary argument about how power accumulates at the federal level—often with little resistance—and why reclaiming individual liberty and local control requires awareness, engagement, and structural reform.
January 28, 2011
Something akin to The Gulag Archipelago, or perhaps the first half of Shirer's Rise and Fall....
An economist/attorney reviews the steps taken by government to progressively centralize power at the federal level, and create a state of dependent citizens.
A good description of transaction costs, and how they are shrewdly manipulated (perhaps not even consciously) by pols and regulators.
If you're a progressive, big government fan, here's your handbook. This and Alinsky's Rules for Radicals tells you everything you need to know.
If you're a libertarian, this one will make you shiver. It does a great job of identifying the problem, and much less on solutions.
An economist/attorney reviews the steps taken by government to progressively centralize power at the federal level, and create a state of dependent citizens.
A good description of transaction costs, and how they are shrewdly manipulated (perhaps not even consciously) by pols and regulators.
If you're a progressive, big government fan, here's your handbook. This and Alinsky's Rules for Radicals tells you everything you need to know.
If you're a libertarian, this one will make you shiver. It does a great job of identifying the problem, and much less on solutions.
March 2, 2008
Interesting read... recommended by a friend who was attempting to turn me into a libertarian... more theory and reality, in my opinion: rosy assumptions regarding savings, rates of return being used to argue that the less government the better. makes plenty of sense - in a world without racial, gender or social bias. The Color of Wealth is (in my opinion) a required read as a source of real-world data, to place this lesson in theoretical economics into its proper context.
August 3, 2013
The author makes a point that most Americans have surrendered self-responsibility to become virtual wards of the government. She examines how in one generation, the government has taken over control of most aspects of the lives of everyday Americans as well a a larger share of private earnings.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews