This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Thursday, September 7th,

2003. I'm Caleb Brown.

Mathematically, it's likely that the biggest handouts

governments give out are to the middle class.

Jarrett Scorup with the Mackinoff Center explains some of the problems with expanding eligibility

for benefits and subsidies that, if they are to exist at all ought to be targeted

to those without the means to get it themselves.

Governments take in money, they sit through taxes, they spend money, and if we're looking for where to cut

Certainly it makes sense to cut the wealthiest from the teat of government, but a lot of states seem to be going in the opposite direction, at least with respect to many of their programs.

Yeah, that's exactly right. I think we're seeing a trend across the states. I mean, this is through at the federal level,

but to have programs that previously

went to low-income residents and expand them

to upper middle class, wealthy residents.

So things like universal preschool and college

tuition being covered as well as daycare and expanding those subsidies

which which one you know makes more people reliant on government but also makes I would

argue the programs worse overall. All right so what what are some programs that

multiple states have expanded to include people who I think most people would say should not be taking advantage of these kinds of programs.

Yeah, the big new one is daycare or preschool.

And there have been five or six states that have had universal preschool for a long time.

Funny enough, they tended to be Republican Southern states.

And now there are Democratic-leaning states

...