July 10, 2008 3:06PM 

# City Life: Why Is It So Bad for So Many? 

By [Tim Lynch](https://www.cato.org/people/tim-lynch) 

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Why is city life so bad for so many? Here are some possibilities:

1. Maybe because the government has a lousy a [school](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/30/AR2007123002242.html) [system](https://www.cato.org/2008/06/19/school-choice-what-would-bartlet-do/).
2. Maybe because the government has a lousy [justice](http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-domanick6-2008jul06,0,353207.story) [system](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103458.html).
3. Maybe because the government has a lousy [tax system](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9525).
4. Maybe because the government has a lousy [welfare system](https://www.cato.org/pubs/handbook/hb107/hb107-29.pdf).
5. Maybe it is a combination of [lousy policies](https://www.cato.org/pubs/handbook/hb105-26.html).

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics) 

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