Tyranny of the Status Quo

"Free to Choose" was an international best-seller in 1980. Its forceful message influenced a number of world leaders -- among them Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. The Friedmans explained how free markets enable people to make the best use of their talents.

In " Tyranny of the Status Quo, " Milton and Rose Friedman describe a remarkable political phenomenon: the uniform tendency in government to reverse the declared policies of leaders whether left or right. In the first six to nine months following their election, Reagan, Thatcher, and Mitterand, too, initiated big changes. Soon, each was frustrated by the "Iron Triangle" which preserves the status quo. In the triangle's corners are the direct beneficiaries of laws, the bureaucrats who thrive on them, the politicians who seek votes.