In a recent post on the New York Times’ Economix blog, Harvard economist Edward Glaeser takes a look the solutions to the inherent problems of close human proximity over the course of American city history and determines that basic survival compels city dwellers to be more government-inclined.

Money quote…

I’m a big fan of the free market, and I see lots to like in liberty. But the downsides of proximity, be they cholera or crime, have never been solved with laissez-faire. Costly, often intrusive public action has often been needed to manage the negative externalities associated with urban density.

In a sense, the gulf between the political attitudes of New York City and Montana can be understood as a reflection of the fact that city dwellers need government a lot more than ranchers do.

h/t: Otis White