Despite American’s broader preferences, politicians present the public with choices in which bigger government always wins. Arthur Brooks and Paul Ryan in a WSJ article go on to say that once you check enough of these boxes, you end up with a big government even if you prefer something smaller. And smaller government we do prefer. 70 percent of respondents in a Pew Research Center study agreed that people are better off in a free market economy, even though there may be more severe ups and downs from time to time. Yet at the same time a Post-ABC poll finds that 78 percent oppose cutting spending on Medicare as a way to move towards a balanced budget and fiscal sustainability.