If you've followed the news at all, you've seen stories about who is harmed from the government shutdown. To compare whether the shutdown is bad or good, however, we need to compare the costs of the shutdown to the benefits. You don't hear much about the benefits from the shutdown.
Here are two articles (here and here) about how state parks have seen more visitors. Certainly the economies around state parks likely are gaining from the loses of the economies around the national parks. Across the nation, there is likely no impact, but its important to realize there is no impact and not be misled into thinking that the country is worse off because fewer people are visiting national parks.
Who else benefits. My quick thoughts:
1. Anybody who has to deal with EPA agents abusing their authority. This agency has gotten so big and corrupt it simply should be abolished and we should start from scratch.
2. The government workers who are essentially getting a paid vacation.
3. Related to the state parks, I am guessing the paid museums in Washington DC are doing well. (The Newsium and the International Spy Museum, for example.)
What I notice most of all is that life seems to go on as usual. Doesn't that tell us the Federal government has gotten too large?
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