Lindblom - The Market System - Afghan Journalists' Committee

Chosen Domain 107us well understand the need for state, family, enterprise,and the various arrangements of civil society. There existsin some societies, however, conspicuously in the UnitedStates, a related idea—that government is best that governsleast, a proposition usually attached to an unspoken corollary:that market system is best that coordinates most. Yeta market system of maximum domain would by most peoplebe considered inhumane. And a “least” governmentwould not only leave debris to gather in the streets butwould allow the spread of deadly epidemics. Determiningthe domain for market, state, family, enterprise, and civilsociety—for each of them—is a serious task for every society,not to be disposed of by all-too-common dogma.