Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government

Crisis and Leviathan is Higgs's masterwork on how government grows in size, scope, and power in response to real or imagined “crises.” From war to economic upheavals, government overreach endures long after each crisis has passed, impinging on civil liberties and fostering extensive corporate welfare.

Few topics are as timely as the growth of government. To understand why government has grown, Robert Higgs asserts, one must understand how it has grown. This book offers a coherent, multi-caus...