Very informative (and extended) interview of Bjorn Lomborg, who with other economists has studied how much good can be obtained per dollar of government spending. His study is not politically popular because he shows that our current leaders ignore many effective uses of government expenditures while focusing on less important problems or problems than are not effectively resolved / addressed with expenditures. In any event, you might be surprised with how some fantastic results (especially with attacking poverty and disease) can be achieved with relatively modest expenditures. Informed consideration of costs and benefits, risks and opportunities (short-term and long-term) should be more important than catchy slogans in setting public policies.