How to Know What the Government Should Fund (So Everyone Wins)
From the THX Series Hub: Government That Works
Using a common-sense approach to fairness, human needs, and smart investment.
Our Goal: Making Government Spending Make Sense
This guide is designed to help people across the political spectrum think more clearly about what the government should fund, build, or manage—and what it should leave to private businesses or nonprofits. It also asks a vital question: if public money made it possible, how does the public benefit in return? The goal is to ensure that taxpayers get a return on their investment—not just private sector profits or political points. Our goal is simple: help people live better lives without wasting money, blocking opportunity, or creating unfair profits.
Let me be upfront about where I'm coming from: I was born with multiple physical disabilities and diagnosed recently as neurodivergent. I was raised in a deeply conservative home and community—what some would now call Christian Nationalist. I attended a Catholic college that refused federal financial aid so they wouldn’t be bound by objectionable federal guidelines. My first job out of college was with the U.S. Taxpayers Party, a third party that stood firmly on small-government, strong-conservative values.
I believed deeply in the idea that people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps. But over time—through life experience, through personal hardships and through witnessing other people’s lives up close—I saw that it’s not that simple.
Too many people aren’t struggling because they’re lazy or unmotivated. They’re struggling because they lack access to even a few of the 12 Utilities: security, consistency, emotional respect, clarity, or basic value. I saw brilliant, hardworking people stuck in place—not from lack of will, but from lack of tools.
And I’ve also seen how nonprofits and charities—even those with good intentions—sometimes use access to help as a lever for belief, control, or compliance. People being told they need to attend a Bible study before they get a bed at a shelter. That kind of help has strings.
I’m not saying those who made it didn’t work hard. But many of the stories we admire most—the wealthy entrepreneur, the self-sacrificing missionary—leave out the safety nets, the connections, the privilege or support that helped them along the way.
So yes, maybe some now call me a liberal or a socialist. Maybe I am. But what I really am is someone who has seen and experienced a lot of suffering and knows that neither the private sector nor charities alone are doing enough. Not fairly. Not for everyone. Not yet.
This guide is for anyone who wants to make sense of what government should do—not based on fear or politics, but based on what actually helps people flourish.
Quick Primer on the Transformative Human Experience (THX) Frameworks
1. The 12 Utilities (Usefulness)
Think of these like a scorecard of what people want from any service or experience: Is it fast? Safe? Easy? Worth it? The more boxes it checks, the more useful it is.
2. PERMAH (Human Flourishing)
Based on positive psychology, this measures if something helps people truly thrive: Are they healthier, happier, more connected, more successful?
3. Prospect Theory
This Nobel-winning idea says people hate losing more than they love gaining. If a service disappears or fails, it hurts more than a new service helps. Is the utility providing a gain or a loss? For whom?
4. Admiration Equation
People admire skill, care, and awe. When government delivers well, it earns public trust, loyalty, and support.
5. Micro-Moments
Real impact shows up in real life. If people can feel the difference in small daily ways, trust and confidence grow.
Why Does Government Pay for Some Things?
Sometimes a problem is too big, too risky, or not profitable enough for a business or charity to solve. That’s when the government steps in to help everyone—not just those who can afford it or agree with a certain group.
Think of things like:
Building highways
Funding early medical research
Sending people to space
Helping people after disasters
These are things that take a lot of time, money, and teamwork. And private companies often don’t want to do them unless there's a clear way to make money quickly.
The Big Question: When Should Government Step In?
We created an easy way to think about this using the Transformative Human Experience (THX) frameworks. Think of it like a decision tool that helps us ask:
Is the private sector (businesses) not doing this?
Are charities trying but not able to do it well or fairly?
Will regular people be worse off if no one does it?
Step 1: What’s Missing? (The 12 Utilities)
These are the 12 things people expect from a good service. If too many of these are missing, it might be time for government to help:
If 4 or more of these are failing and no one else is fixing them, government should consider step in.
Step 2: Will It Help People Live Better Lives? (PERMAH)
This step asks: Will the investment actually make people’s lives better in real, lasting ways?
If the project helps with 3 or more of these, it’s not just helpful—it’s transformational.
Step 3: What Happens If We Do Nothing? (Prospect Theory)
People often feel losses more deeply than gains. So we ask:
Will people suffer or get left behind if the government doesn’t act?
Is the cost of not helping greater than the cost of stepping in?
Would it be too risky to wait for someone else to fix it?
If the risk of doing nothing is high, it’s time to act.
Step 4: Will This Build Trust and Pride? (Admiration Equation)
We all admire people and systems that show skill, care, or greatness. Government should do things that:
Make people say “Wow, they really know what they’re doing!”
Make people say “They really cared about us.”
Make people feel awe or surprise at how good something is
Make people feel thankful that someone showed up
When a program earns admiration, people support it, share it, and protect it.
Step 5: Can People Feel It in Their Lives? (Micro-Moments)
If no one ever sees or feels the benefit, it doesn’t build trust. So we ask:
Will people notice the change?
Will it change someone’s daily life?
Will it shift how they see themselves, their future, or their worth?
If the answer is yes, the investment has emotional power.
Final Thought: Should the Government Build, Help, or Step Aside?
BUILD & STAY if it’s essential (like roads, clean water, public safety)
BUILD & HAND OFF if it works better privately but needed public help to get started ensuring the public, not just the private sector, benefit in return? (like space exploration)
STEP ASIDE if others can do it better and fairly (like selling snacks or clothes)
Good government spending helps everyone win—especially people who can’t fix things on their own. The goal isn’t control. It’s to fill gaps, unlock opportunity, and protect our shared future.
Coming Next: Real-World Examples Across Different Sectors
We’ll walk through:
Food safety (Stay Government?)
Cancer research (Build and Hand Off?)
Military and defense (Build & Stay?)
Public transit (Hybrid?)
AI safety (Build now, Hand off with safeguards?)
Postal services (Mixed debate)
Arts funding (Symbolic + Admiration + Micro-Moment value)
This will help show how this tool works across health, safety, science, infrastructure, and identity.
Interpretation:
The visual simplicity mirrors the guide’s mission: break down complex ideas around public spending into clear, accessible truths. The traditional government dome is softened by vector art, reminding us that structure isn’t rigidity—it’s support. The coins represent both risk and reward, challenging the reader to think critically: Are we funding systems that return value to all… or just to the few?.