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© 2026 Juvoni Beckford

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Economics · 2010

That Which Is Seen And That Which Is Not Seen: The Unintended Consequences Of Government Spending

Frédéric Bastiat

That Which Is Seen And That Which Is Not Seen: The Unintended Consequences Of Government Spending Cover
Rating
7.5/10
Difficulty
Light
Read time
1 hour
Best in
  • Kindle
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48 pagesRead Aug 15, 2012Staying power: Lasting influence

by Juvoni Beckford·@juvoni

Before readingWhy I picked it up

During my early college years, when Ron Paul was running for president I was inspired by his libertarian message and I started to be more conscious and question the extent of the government's involvement. I am also very interested in system dynamics and That Which is Seen and That Which is not looks to explore many government policies that can have widely varying macroeconomic results. Bastiat's classic has stood the test of time, and his analysis is valid even today.

After readingPosted December 1, 2015

Bravo, this was a great long essay by Frédéric Bastiat, a French classical liberal theorist and member of the French Assembly. Written almost over 170 years ago, this classic is still relevant today, shows how simple principles and a solid, small government can endure over an overly complicated and massive government. History continues to repeat itself, as hard lessons of the past are lost in ignorance and ego. That which is seen and that which is not seen is an informative essay on the principles of Austrian economics and talks about the harms of too much government spending and budget deficits.

Three reasons to read it

  1. 01Gain a better understanding of government and the political economy
  2. 02Insights into the dangers of Government spending, written over 165 years ago and still applicable today
  3. 03A book by one of the founding fathers of libertarianism

Notes for this book are still being transcribed.

←PreviousFreakonomicsSteven D. Levitt , Stephen J. DubnerNext→The Obstacle Is the WayRyan Holiday
Buy on AmazonAffiliate ↗

No affiliate link·Goodreads

Awards

  • Lindy Book

    Written over 20 years ago and still holds up. Time already tested it.

  • Couldn't Put It Down

    I kept reading when I meant to stop.

Major themes

  1. Government
  2. Spending
  3. Unintended
  4. Consequences
  5. Economics
  6. Public
  7. Policy
  8. Taxes
  9. Budget
  10. Incentives
  11. Investment
  12. Growth
  13. Wealth
  14. Inflation
  15. Interest
  16. Debt

Related Books

Buy on AmazonAffiliate ↗

No affiliate link·Goodreads

Awards

  • Lindy Book

    Written over 20 years ago and still holds up. Time already tested it.

  • Couldn't Put It Down

    I kept reading when I meant to stop.

Major themes

  1. Government
  2. Spending
  3. Unintended
  4. Consequences
  5. Economics
  6. Public
  7. Policy
  8. Taxes
  9. Budget
  10. Incentives
  11. Investment
  12. Growth
  13. Wealth
  14. Inflation
  15. Interest
  16. Debt

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Related books

That Which Is Seen And That Which Is Not Seen cover, this bookHow to Lie with StatisticsIntellectuals and SocietyStrings AttachedThis bookAlso in Politics & Public Policy

How to Lie with Statistics, Intellectuals and Society and Strings Attached.

10 books in Politics & Public Policy →