Growth of Government

Today within the executive branch of the federal government there are fifteen cabinet secretaries. These are the Presidents men and women who in my mind run our country or at least our countries bureaucracy.  Each of these fifteen positions represent massive government agencies which in some cases date back to the founding of our country. There were initially four cabinet level positions which have morphed into what we have today.

My question is - are we better off as a country and are we more free because of the expansion of government? Regardless of this argument the result of government expansion is a collective federal debt of $16.7 trillion, so clearly financially we are NOT better off. Furthermore, a  third of these cabinet level agencies have been formed since 1965.  How did our nation survive almost 200 years without a third of it's leadership?

For starters, agencies who have failed to meet their mandates, after say 36 years, should be reviewed and likely eliminated.  I would consider these agencies to be among the most endangered:

15)  Department of Homeland Security (I think the name is super dumb) - est. 2002

14)  Department of Veterans Affairs - est. 1988

13)  Department of Education - est. 1976

12)  Department of Energy - est. 1977

10)  Department of Housing and Urban Development - est. 1965

There is one basic question that must be asked and answered of our elected officials if the United States is to continue as the economic, military and world leader. Is our federal government to big?  If so, what can be done about it?

Those on the right argue our government is too big. When agencies such as the IRS can't even audit their own books something has to give and that give is something that rarely (ever?) happens in Washington... The elimination of an entire government agency, lock, stock and barrel.