Don Boudreaux on lobbyists

From my inbox:

17 August 2008

Editor, The New York Times Book Review
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036

To the Editor:

Thomas Frank is confused. First he argues, in 2004, that capitalist materialism has been unleashed on this great land by, of all things, Americans' failure to be sufficiently materialistic. Now he asserts that the gigantic and powerful lobbying industry currently astride Washington is the child of the same free-market ideology that has allegedly succeeded in inflicting laissez faire on Americans ("What's the Matter With Washington?" August 17).

I waited in vain for reviewer Michael Lind to point out the obvious fact that, if the market really has become so dominant as Mr. Frank famously asserts, the government would have fewer, not more, favors to sell. Lobbying would be a dying industry.

Alas, the continued, kudzu-like growth of lobbying firms in Washington is powerful evidence against Mr. Frank's incessantly repeated insistence that free-market "idolaters" have shifted all power from government to markets.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
Enterprise Hall
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-993-1130 (office)