Mr Clegg is a free-market liberal who would fit happily into the liberal traditions of Dutch politics: whereas the left of his party still looks to the state to deliver improvements, Mr Clegg is among those who suspect that a top-down state is a wasteful provider of services, let alone social change.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

Mr Corzine claims he can find money for more property-tax rebates and better public services by cutting wasteful spending, a common politician's claim which may, nonetheless, be truer in New Jersey than in many other places.

ECONOMIST: Everybody suddenly wants to clean up New Jersey

No chronicle of wasteful weapons spending would be complete without a mention of defense agencies the vast bureaucracies outside the military services that supposedly save money by consolidating management of joint activities.

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