Horowitz: The big lie behind fearing a federal shutdown

What is the purpose of a federal government?

Aside from the 50 state governments, there are more than 3,000 county governments, 19,000 municipalities, roughly 16,000 townships and over 12,000 independent school districts, according to the U.S. Census. There are also more than 37,000 special districts, such as water authorities, parks districts, and other public entities that perform vital functions and are under the auspices of town and county governments. Why exactly do we need a federal government if it subverts our national security, orchestrates an invasion, and targets political opponents?

If the federal government is malfeasant in its few necessary functions, isn’t that the ultimate form of a government shutdown? And if confronting that malfeasance in the budget induces a temporary lapse in some of its operations, what exactly are we missing?