Poll: Americans Want Government to Push Economic Mobility.

Boyes and I have blogged about the tension in a free and liberal society between the value or desire for freedom v security. A key variable in this tradeoff can be found in the set of conventions, norms and beliefs that make up the informal institutional structure of society.

Informal institutions are powerful, slow to change and shape the formal institutional framework. North points out the role played by culture and argues that beliefs trump "facts".

That being the case, the US has experienced an explosion in Leviathan over the past 20 years. Today we are in the midst of a debate about the sustainability of Leviathan.

A recent WSJ article illustrates the contradiction between the majority belief systems and the ability to support those beliefs:

An overwhelming majority of Americans want the government to help poor and middle-class Americans better their lot, but there was significant disagreement about whether or not the government was pursuing the right strategy. The poll seems to underscore a long-running truism that everyone wants to help the poor but no one agrees how to do it.

Stated differently, we all want government help, as long as the payment for that help either lies in the future or is financed in the present by someone else.