Some critics of government overreach have regularly welcomed United States government shutdowns, arguing that they provide relief — if only temporarily — from spending and bossing around by government that threatens both freedom and prosperity. For them, the announcement from the Donald Trump administration that the government shutdown that started this week could lead to the cancelation of billions of dollars in spending on “clean energy” authorized during the preceding presidential administration could seem a welcome relief.

But, as detailed by Joe Lancaster in a Thursday article at Reason, there is a troubling side to the story for people who have wanted Trump as president to follow through on a promise to drain the swamp. It looks like the Trump administration is choosing to make the cuts in “Democrat” states as a punishment, while retaining the spending in “Republican” states as a reward. Doing so would not be an exercise of limited government. Instead, it would be an exercise of expansionist government combined with corruption.

Reprinted with permission from the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.