Crisis and Leviathan

Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government is a 1987 monograph by economist and historian Robert Higgs that analyzes the expansion of the United States government across the twentieth century. First published in New York by Oxford University Press as part of the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy series, the study advances a historical interpretation of state growth that centers on recurring wars and economic emergencies. Higgs contends that such crises produce abrupt increases in governmental power that recede only partially once the emergency ends, creating a persistent ratchet in state authority alongside ideological shifts that normalize the new interventions.

Contemporary reviewers in The Journal of Economic History, Business History Review, Political Science Quarterly, and the Journal of American Studies described the volume as a sweeping account of government growth, with commentators including Gary M. Anderson and Hugh Rockoff praising the ambition and clarity of its crisis-driven thesis. Anniversary editions from the Independent Institute and a 2025 symposium on extensions of the ratchet effect reflect ongoing relevance of Higgs's argument.