Concentrated Power Is Not Rendered Harmless

This line appears in Capitalism and Freedom (1962), Friedman's landmark work on the relationship between economic and political liberty. The argument is directed at those who believe that concentrated state power is acceptable when wielded by benevolent officials: Friedman contended that the concentration of power itself creates the conditions for abuse, regardless of the motivations of those who initially build it. He saw this as a structural argument, not a moral one about the character of government officials.