Europe v. America

Tyler Cowen says that Europe utilizes better government policy and practice than does the United States, so Europe can afford more government involvement, because European Public Goods are somehow more Cost-effective than American Public Goods. Bryan Caplan explains that European public opinion is the exogenous element–not government policy; suggesting Cowen put the ‘Cart before the horse’. Arnold Kling sharply disagrees with Cowen, insisting that Europe is more likely than the United States to have government failures.

I disagree with all Three. The difference between American and European government policy and its success lay in the lack of development of the Class system in the Americas–including Canada and to a lesser extent Latin America. The Americas are rare solely because economic progress in the modern mode developed concurrent to the development of the Class system. Americans could subvert the domination of Class structure by simple wealth aggregation. There is some reference to the concept of ‘Old Wealth’ in the Americas, but not like the concept in Europe; where ‘Old Wealth’ carries the trappings of aristocracy. Americans think they can work their way up the Social ladder; Europeans feels trapped in their Social Class, no matter the eventual largesse of their wealth.

Government policies in Europe carry the added element of protection of their Class from aversive invasion from other Classes; unlike the United States, where government polices are set only by the power of Special Interests-no matter the total Vote size. Voters in Europe are more likely to vote for Class interests than for political party advocacy; Voters in America will vote for Special Interests over political party advocacy. European politics will always be more social democratic progressive than America, because European Voters represent Class, while American Voters represent specific Special Interest coalitions built for specific sole issue ends. lgl