When the government does become involved [in an economy], it's almost invariably detrimental. For example, people like to say that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is evidence that when the government becomes involved, things become better, but the fact is that all it does is create more hazard by encouraging people not to conduct their research before investing in things like stock.

Syndicated columnist and author, Ben Shapiro

[Supporting a limited government role] doesn’t mean that there aren’t certain things which need to be done, but the question is whether it’s the role of the government to do them. For example, my neighbor’s child may be desperately in need of sex education, but it’s not my job to go provide it. The sex education should come from that child’s parents or possibly from the schools, but it’s not my job to provide sex education for my neighbor’s child.

Author, Commentator and President of The King's College, Dinesh D'Souza

The founders of the United States held a skeptical view of government understanding that greater government involvement always comes at the expense of freedom which in turn restrains progress and lowers standards of living.

Economist, investment advisor, author and commentator, Peter Schiff

A little government can do a lot of good but a lot of government can do a lot of harm

Economist, investment advisor, author and commentator, Peter Schiff

although it seems counter-intuitive, higher education in the United States is so expensive precisely because government subsidizes it. At its current cost, many people wouldn't be able to afford to attend universities, but because the government guarantees their student loans, universities can charge virtually any price they desire.

Economist, investment advisor, author and commentator, Peter Schiff

The problem with government is that anything it does necessarily comes at a cost. There's no such thing as a free lunch. The government can do nothing positive without also simultaneously doing something negative. Let's say that a factory was given a $500,000 grant which saved 500 jobs, that's what's seen, but what isn't so readily seen is what could have been created or what was lost in the private sector because the federal government borrowed or taxed that money out of the economy to create those jobs.

Writer and Cato Institute Budget Analyst, Tad DeHaven

Why should government be limited in scope and function? Well, the Constitution says so. The list of legitimate, Constitutional powers the federal government has are spelled out. There is a list of things they definitely cannot do the Bill of Rights. The ninth and tenth amendments reiterate that if they are not listed in the Constitution they are denied to the federal government and reserved to the states or the people.

President of Americans For Tax Reform, Grover Norquist

[What causes an economy to prosper] is a highly contested issue ... contemporary libertarian economists, exemplified by Milton Friedman and his followers, believe that social well-being is maximized by minimizing government involvement in the economy ... At the other extreme, socialists believe in a strong role for government and government ownership of the means of production and distribution ... The reality is that the last century has seen the mixed economy prosper with government involvement through legislation and regulation pervading the economy.

Professor & Head of QUT's School of Economics and Finance, Tim Robinson

As a rule, market competition more efficiently rewards virtue, punishes irresponsibility, and more fairly distributes resources and opportunities than government. Markets favor the most accountable, innovative, and best companies, while government policies usually only favor the most politically well-connected companies.

Communications Director, Club For Growth, Mike Connolly

Ideally, everyone should have the freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail based on his own merit, work ethic, and pluck. Government’s job should be to guarantee equal rights and equality of opportunity, and leave the outcomes up to individuals, their families, neighbors, businesses, and customers.

Communications Director, Club For Growth, Mike Connolly

the government wants to guide the economy, often choosing which technologies and industries deserve favored status (tax breaks or subsidies), which is an inherently corrupt process and counter-productive to economic growth. It's impossible to imagine that a cadre of politicians or bureaucrats are best suited to decide which businesses and industries deserve resources.

Independent Women's Forum director and Goldwater Institute senior fellow, Carrie Lukas

I would like to see the government play less of a role [in the economy] because when the government gets involved, it creates failures and discourages rather than encourages people to be entrepreneurs because of burdensome regulation and taxation. I think the government tries to be all things to all people and subsequently takes away individual rights under the auspice of uniform rights. The challenge, as individuals, is that we find ourselves working hard for those who choose not to work and yet enjoy the same benefits ... One of the challenges we have today is that we're creating a system where people become more dependent upon the government versus relying upon themselves.

Entrepreneur and Chairman of The Frederick Douglass Foundation, Timothy Johnson

I think the primary role [which the government should play in an economy] is to enforce property rights and contracts. In order to have a meaningful market and property, you have to have clear, enforceable property rights and contracts are necessary to have any kind of market ... In addition, the government should be responsible for ... [for providing] an effective, honest, strict, forward police force, law enforcement and defense establishment. [Ultimately] I think you have to limit the power of government because the incentives of the people within the government are very likely to try to expand their role.

Cato Institute Chairman Emeritus and Senior Economist, William Niskanen

by fostering a friendly business environment, where one business does not get preferential treatment over another, commercial activity enriches the many instead of the politically-connected few.

Vice President of the National Taxpayers Union, Pete Sepp