Public choice analysis showed that “a flaw in our basic constitutional structure” made controlling public spending an almost insuperable challenge. Elected officials responded to voters, and most voters were now, in one way or another, dependent on “the federal gravy train.” Yet—and here was a good sign—“two broad-based coalitions” seemed to be congealing. One was regionally concentrated in the South, the Midwest, and the West, yet it also included “ethnic [that is, white] blue collar workers in the Northeast.” The other consisted of those who benefited most directly from federal spending
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