- We are slowly dismantling the federal government, even as its spending is growing larger. The paradox is that governmental competence is being systematically degraded while the government’s size, as measured by its budget, is increasing. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/robert-j-samuelson-the-end-of-government/2014/02/09/94096a0c-9021-11e3-b46a-5a3d0d2130da_story.html 201 comments politics