March 14, 2007 5:09PM 

# The Government Is Not the Country 

By [David Boaz](https://www.cato.org/people/david-boaz) 

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[The *Washington Post* reports,](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/13/AR2007031301763.html)

> “Three of the last five years, there’s been no budget for this country,” \[Sen. Kent\] Conrad said in an interview.

Actually, for the past 218 years, there’s been no budget for this country. The country is a vast, sprawling nation of 300 million people, millions of businesses, and more than 100 million households. The country is not a corporate entity, and it has no budget.

On the other hand, there is supposed to be a budget for the federal government, and Congress is indeed derelict in failing to pass one. But politicians should not forget the distinction between the country and the government.

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy) 

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