Many people regard the welfare state as a great achievement of civilization. Yet, few recognize that the larger the welfare state becomes, the more the beneficiaries themselves must bear the growing costs.
The beneficiaries must pay for what they receive and also bear the administrative expenses. Further, taxpayers in general must pay for the rent-seeking of special-interest groups that exploit the system for their own benefit—not to mention the inevitable waste incurred due to negligence or mismanagement.
