> Yes. A lot less. The US government was fairly small until WW2.
It looks like we went from ~20% GDP federal budget pre-WWII to ~35% 2023. [0]
Digging in, most seems like it's from the creation of health and social security entitlements? And certainly (sadly) most YoY growth. [1] [2]
> You have to look at the cost before determining if it is a success. Not simply the volume of production.
Well, cost and capability. There are many government functions that industry doesn't really need to do.
And if you create businesses for the sole purpose of performing government functions... aren't those just outsourced government departments, albeit managed by contract instead of directly?
Yes. A lot less. The US government was fairly small until WW2.
> So maybe government successes are readily at hand in my mind.
You have to look at the cost before determining if it is a success. Not simply the volume of production.