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This localism is somewhat marred by the Tories’ deep distrust of local government. Handing over schools to local associations risks creating bodies that can be taken over by teachers’ unions, as in America. Lord Adonis, a Blairite who now heads the Institute for Government, a think-tank, argues that the Tories should also have given more power to elected local mayors, especially in the 14 big cities where one in three Britons live. Apparently Tory and Liberal-Democrat local councillors took against this.

Volunteer, or else
Volunteerism, the idea of Burkean small platoons taking on the functions of the state, is the trickiest part. On paper, this is a big idea. The people around Mr Cameron argue that just reducing the supply of government won’t wean people off the state you also have to reduce the demand for it. That persistent demand, after all, has been the main reason for sprawling government from California to Cardiff.
In practice, however, the idea has flaws. Running your local library sounds attractive, but most people lack the time and expertise required, and there is not a lot of money around to help them (thanks to the spending cuts). Britons seem to band together of their own accord only when they want to oppose something—such as the government’s plans to sell off the nation’s forests, which they halted.
To be fair to the Tories, the Big Society is not their only scheme to reduce demand for government. Their welfare reforms are based on moving poorer Britons away from dependence on the state. A lot of state spending is “avoidable”, argues one insider: if you can get people into jobs, strengthen families, stop teenagers getting pregnant and teach children early, you will save a fortune a decade hence. Just two particularly troublesome families have cost British taxpayers £37m over three generations.

A. 어휘
mar 損傷(손상)하다. associations 협회. the Tories 영국 보수당의원(사람들).
teachers’ unions 교사연합. Blairite 前영국수상 Blair추종자.
Institute 연구소. Government 통치. Apparently 분명히.
local councillors 지방의회 의원. Burke 18세기 영국의 보수주의 정치가.
platoon 小隊(소대). taking on 일을 떠맡다.
tricky 까다로운, 방심할 수 없는, 교활한. reduce 축소시키다.
wean 젖을 떼다. persistent 執拗(집요)한, 완고한, 끊임없는.
sprawl 흉하게 퍼지다, 흉하게 뻗다.
sprawling government 흉하게 팽창하는 정부기능.
Cardiff 영국 Wales의 수도. flaws 缺陷(결함). expertise 전문기술.
band together 단결하다, 결합하다.
their own accord 자발적으로. cf. accord 일치. halt 정지시키다.
the Big Society 국가의 운영에서 정부의 역할을 축소하는 통치체제.
dependence 의존. insider 내부 인물, 소식통. pregnant 임신한.
fortune 재산. save a fortune 거대한 재산을 모으다(국가재정이 크게 나아지다).
a decade hence 지금부터 10년 뒤에는.
troublesome families 문제가 많은 가정. cost 비용을 들게 하다.