“I watched it and really liked it. I tweeted it too! Thanks for sending it along. Great work.” —John B. Taylor, Mary and Robert Raymond Professor of Economics, Stanford University; former Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs; former Member, President’s Council of Economic Advisors
“This is a must see. Love Gov is hilarious and sad at the same time. It shows our government in a new light. It is not the politicians, but the bureaucracy. They control us and they can’t be fired.” —Timothy C. Draper, Founder and Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson; Founder, Draper University
“It’s a new web TV series by the Independent Institute that actually is about breaking up with government. Designed to make the problems caused by government more accessible to people by portraying government as an overbearing boyfriend named ‘Gov.’ The series is called Love Gov and it’s gotten nearly 2 million views. . . . The lead character Alexis, like most Americans, falls for his promises. . . . Young people are more likely to watch stuff like that than say me on Fox Business. And, too many young people do seem to love government. So I am glad the Independent Institute made Love Gov to tell young people the truth. . . . Almost all of the media that young people consume pushes a Big Government, anti-capitalist message. . . . Will Alexis finally break up with Gov? Will you? . . . We’ve got to break up with most of the government we’ve got now. . . . Americans need the courage to tell off government the way Alexis finally does. . . . Yes now it’s our turn. Let’s break up with Big Government.” —John Stossel, Host of Stossel, Fox Business Network
“Love Gov has it all—excellent production qualities, excellent libertarian values, and a powerhouse message about the suffocating nature of government delivered in an entertaining package. It was our privilege to give it the award for best libertarian comedy of 2016.” —Jo Ann Skousen, Founder and Director, Anthem Film Festival
“Love Gov is a fun way to reach Millennials who are questioning government programs—or just wondering about today’s economic problems. Plus, the videos are an entertaining way to help liberty lovers further understand the financial problems they face.” —Frayda Levy, Chair, Americans for Prosperity; Co-Founder, Moving Picture Institute; former Owner, Regent Book Company
“Those videos are brilliant. What a great idea.” —Barbara Kolm, Director, Friedrich A. v. Hayek Institute, Vienna, Austria
“A fun YouTube video series . . . Love Gov essentially answers the big questions young people have about how politics affects their lives.” —Debra Saunders, columnist, San Francisco Chronicle
“Atlas Network is proud to recognize the Independent Institute for its hugely successful Love Gov series, a truly imaginative and expertly crafted example of the power of video. It takes a big vision to win over large audiences and Love Gov has proven going all in on video pays off.” —Brad Lips, Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Network
“Congratulations on this excellent product. I am sharing it with our teams.” —Arthur C. Brooks, President, American Enterprise Institute
“Every bit as good as you described. Very inspired and very well delivered. I have sent to a good deal of my friends.” —Terry Gannon, Co-Founder and former President, TeraGen
“Love Gov is an amazingly high-quality, but also skin-crawling, series from the Independent Institute. —Michael C. Munger, Professor of Political Science, Economics and Public Policy; Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program; Duke University
“These are great, David. I just watched three in a row. Will watch the rest soon. We’ve been doing a lot of video production work lately, so I can appreciate the work and craftsmanship that went into this. It’s upbeat, winsome, and communicates well. Bravo.” —Timothy Dalrymple, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Polymath Innovations
“A new series of videos created by the Oakland-based Independent Institute and Austin-based Emergent Order hits the sweet spot, delivering a solid message with great writing, acting and production. Love Gov turns the folly, cost, and intrusiveness of government into the character of Scott ‘Gov’ Govinsky and his endless efforts to ‘help’ the women in his life. Better still, it’s actually funny.” —Jon Gabriel, Editor, Ricochet
“The Independent Institute has produced a 5-video series called Love Gov. It’s a series of humorous skits in which the government is personified. I’ve seen only the first but it’s excellent. . . . What I like about the series so far is the whole idea of personifying government. . . . Enjoy.” —David R. Henderson, Associate Professor of Economics, Naval Postgraduate School; Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
“We believe that Love Gov is a funny and compelling way to help anyone, especially young people, understand the federal government’s expanding reach into our lives. It’s a lighthearted approach to reach audiences on a personal level and inspire them to learn more and take action. If you have a high school or college student in your life we urge you to check out Love Gov and the
“Wow! The Love Gov series is very funny, fabulously insightful, and highly recommended! With this video series, the Independent Institute is truly leading the way in attracting, entertaining, and educating vast numbers of people, both young and old, on the inanity of Big Government and the crucial value of free markets and individual liberty.” —John C. Goodman, President, Goodman Institute for Public Policy Research
“Just pushed it, looks good!” —Robert P. Murphy, author, Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action
“These are really creative!” —Daniel Armstrong, Director of Marketing and Communications, Mackinac Center for Public Policy
“Great job on the Love Gov videos. They are very entertaining, well produced and packed with criticism of ‘Gov’.” —Paul D. Ashby, Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California
“Terrific job on Love Gov. Setting a high standard for the rest of us. I’ve already told my co-workers to watch the show, and I can’t wait to see more.” —Jeff Gasser, Producer, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
“Without sound economics as a foundation, good intentions tend to lead to detrimental unintended consequences. Convincing the public of this reality isn’t easy, but a video series produced by the Independent Institute provides some amusing and thought-provoking examples. The series Love Gov portrays the federal government as an overbearing boyfriend—Scott ‘Gov’ Govinsky—who imposes his ‘good intentions’ on the hapless, idealistic college student, Alexis. The results of Gov’s well-meaning actions are frequently not what Alexis would have expected.” —Acton Institute PowerBlog
“This is great news. We’ve shared it on our social media, and will do more. I expect we’ll see another surge of interest in August when students arrive back on campus.” —Samuel R. Staley, Director, DeVoe L. Moore Center, Florida State University
“Nicely done. But very creepy.” —Luke M. Froeb, William C. Oehmig Chair of Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, Owens School of Management, Vanderbilt University
“I posted part of your letter on my weblog. It should bring you some traffic. Keep up the good work.” —William F. Vallicella, Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, University of Dayton
“Love the videos. Will share them!” —Matthew Warner, Chief Executive Officer, Flocknote, LLC
“I really appreciate all that you do at Independent Institute, but I had to write to let you know that you have outdone yourselves with Love Gov. Seriously it is far and away the best thing that you have done . . . . Love Gov is a home run. I have sent it to everyone that I know libertarian or not—and most have said that they actually watched it! I seriously would like to see this turned into a television series with a higher budget to take on mainstream. Since Alexis isn’t going to have any more success in getting away from ‘Gov’ than the rest of us, it could be the longest running show in TV history. Thank you for this outreach tool, and keep up the great work!” —Joseph Johnson, Frederick, CO
“It is so fun!” —Jeffrey Tucker, Founder and Chief Liberty Officer, Liberty.me
“These are great. Something millennials can get into--kind of has a Portlandia feel.” —Lance Christensen, Senior Policy Advisor, California State Senator John Moorlach
“The first episode of the Independent Institute’s short film series, Love Gov is light-hearted, but it mocks a problem that is more tragedy than comedy. Scott ‘Gov’ Govinski satirically mirrors, through his romance with the naïve Alexis, the often dysfunctional relationship between the government and higher education. (His ‘relationship’ ironically could be met with a Title IX investigation in real life—he’s a creepy stalker, who latches onto Alexis without “affirmative consent!”) . . . The Independent Institute cleverly expressed a situation many students and recent graduates find themselves in today, and neatly displayed many of higher ed’s self-inflicted wounds. . . . If we graded films we would give Love Gov an ‘A’... ‘A’ for the anger the truth will arouse in viewers for whom this story is too familiar. ‘A’ for Gov’s attitude of indifference toward students and taxpayers. And most importantly, ‘A’ for the absence of academic excellence in so many higher education policy discussions.” —National Review
“Just wanted to pass along a note on a job well done regarding the Love Gov episodes. I was considering developing a series of short clips myself for my classes to better understand Am Gov/Politics, but you’ve done it already, so thanks. Excellent work!” —John Greyson Liscano, Professor of Political Science, Napa Valley College
“Opening the eyes of ordinary citizens to the government’s increasingly prying presence in their lives, especially young people, requires a fresh approach. Using innovative techniques to explain the extensive drawbacks of intrusive government power has a better chance of raising awareness in a way that draws in those who might not otherwise be open to such a message. Embodying this approach, Atlas Network partner the Independent Institute launched its new satirical YouTube video series about liberty. Titled Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate, this timely, bold five-part series ‘personifies the increasing folly, cost, and intrusiveness of government’ in people’s lives in a comedic and compelling manner. . . . Watch Love Gov and help take this important video series viral.” —News & Analysis, Atlas Network
“Love Gov is excellent. My biggest problem was the emotional rollercoaster ride I went through from laughter, sadness and madness; sometimes all at once. You have fashioned another great step in promoting individual liberty for all.” —Richard O. Rowland, Chairman and Founder, Grassroot Institute of Hawai’i
“Love Gov just may have cracked the code to getting Millennials to reach the ‘aha moment’ about the downside of excess government. Hysterically lampooning the federal government by personifying it as a well-intended and overly pushy boyfriend, the five-part story chronicles the 10-year relationship between Scott ‘Gov’ Govinsky and Alexis, his “hapless, idealistic” girlfriend who repeatedly takes up his offers to help her pay for college, run a business, get health insurance, and buy a home. For those among us who find excess government frustrating and infuriating, a series depicting such daily intrusions conceivably could send someone off the deep end. But the scripts are so funny and provide such clarity without being preachy, the series needs to be championed and shared with friends. . . . Each part of the series is equally strong, but Alexis’ breakthrough near the end, when she realizes her accumulated debt, provides that moment of cosmic relief for the viewer who wonders how long can she go on letting Gov manipulate her. It’s a question I often ask myself in real life.” —The Federalist Papers
“The Government Makes a Terrible Boyfriend: He’s from the government, and he’s here to help. That’s the comic premise of this summer’s best YouTube video series, Love Gov, from the Independent Institute. . . . The series has already racked up over 1.5 million views, with positive reviews from fine folks like San Francisco Chronicle columnist Debra Saunders and the Hayek Institute’s Barbara Kolm, who declared the videos ‘brilliant’.” —Richard Morrison, Program Manager, Center for Advancing Capitalism, Competitive Enterprise Institute
“This is well done, and funny. The guy playing Gov does a great job. But as you think about the problems Gov’s interventions cause Alexis, you begin to see your one-sided relationship with Big Government, and it is sobering to say the least.” —Austrian Economics Addict
“A powerful online mini-series released by the Independent Institute earlier this summer illustrates the ‘folly, cost, and intrusiveness’ of big government in America. The cleverly satirical series, Love Gov, follows the life of a college student named Alexis as she finishes her degree, starts a small business, and finally buys a house, all while slipping further into a disastrous relationship with Scott ‘Gov’ Govinsky. . . . Today’s liberal agenda, like Gov’s interference in Alexis’ life, gives Americans the impression that they can do as they wish without any harmful consequences. Big government encourages citizens to take all they can, but hides the fact that loans, regulations, and unabashed trust in government can produce ruinous results. . . . The series, which was uploaded to YouTube early last month, has proven popular with the five episodes gaining over one million views. —Campus Reform
“Love Gov is a very innovative effort to reach millennials with an anti-statist message!” —Marc D. Joffe, Senior Policy Analyst, California Policy Center
“Watched the full Love Gov series and actually laughed out loud at a few spots (very unusual for me). It is very enjoyable!” —Jennifer Butler, Vice President of External Relations, State Policy Network
“I posted every episode to our Facebook page and a few of those 1.5 million views were from us. . . . That second episode with the job protection hit home for a lot of small business owners.” —Samuel Friedman, Communications Director, Caesar Rodney Institute
“When you see . . . all these tens of thousands of young people across college campuses, you know that something like this is being shared amongst them and has got them talking. So I am glad someone is doing Love Gov.” —Austen Peterson, Editor-in-Chief, Libertarian Republic
“This is a short comedy series published by the Independent Institute—Love Gov. The series pokes fun at the many problems of big government, personified by ‘Gov.‘ Sometimes reality is so bad, the only way to grapple with it is through humor. However, while Love Gov might make you smile, the Orwellian arguments coming from Gov sound all too familiar.” —SchiffGold Blog
“Scott Govinsky, a.k.a. ‘Gov,’ is the obnoxious, overbearing boyfriend in the Independent Institute’s hilarious new five-part video series, Love Gov, which highlights—well—the obnoxious, overbearing qualities of our government. . . . If you also believe that big government is “a black hole sucking everything into [its] singularity of awfulness,” I strongly recommend you set aside a half hour to watch Love Gov. After you’re done, you can download the Independent Institute’s new app, My Gov Cost. It is a unique app that allows you to discover things like how much income tax you’ll pay over your lifetime, your opportunity cost and share of government spending, and where your taxes will go this year. Trust me, when you see that, you too will be telling Gov you are never, ever, ever getting back together.” —Britney Clark, The Arkansas Project
“David Theroux and John Papola have done a great job with their Love Gov series of short videos. They capture much of how government harms us (especially young people) in 5 short and amusing videos showing a messed up relationship between ‘Gov’ and a normal young woman. I highly recommend watching.” —Benjamin Powell, Director, Free Market Institute, Texas Tech University
“Within three weeks of its July 6 release, more than a million and a half viewers, three fourths of them Millennials, watched Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate – a series of satirical videos on YouTube that portray the federal government as an obnoxiously pushy boyfriend and the average American as his long-suffering girlfriend.” —CNS News
“Our friends at the Independent Institute have just put the finishing touches on a five-part, satirical video series, Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate, aimed at America’s millennials. The videos send a humorous, yet sobering message to viewers about the growth of government in our daily lives. The series is entertaining and enlightening.” —Robin L. Rivett, former President and CEO, Pacific Legal Foundation
“Those Love Gov clips are great. Congratulations on a job well done.” —Ronald E. Robinson, President, Young America’s Foundation
“Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate is awesomely compelling!” —Pasha Moore, Chief Operating Officer, Lincoln Network
“The thinkers in Independent Institute have realized that there’s an up-and-coming generation of young people who are ready to break free of the stifling Leftist orthodoxies with which they’ve been raised. While older Millennials may be too deep into Progressivism and the Social Justice Warrior ethos to reach, the younger end of the Millennial generation and the post-Millennial generation are trending conservative. This means that they might be open to new ideas. With that in mind, the Independent Institute put together a clever, entertaining, and thought-provoking set of videos in which a Big Gov guy cheerfully, and in the name of love, stalks, obsessively controls, and completely stifles a bright young woman. The series is appropriately called Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate . . . and it’s especially relevant now that the Democrats are lining up behind fully socialized medicine.” —Bookworm Room
“I watched a few of the videos, which I thought were very well done. I’ll watch the rest and discuss with my colleagues here.” —David Kelley, Founder, Atlas Society
“The Love Gov series of videos are good! They aptly illustrate the insidious and overbearing way government creeps into our lives and interferes with almost everything we try to do.” —American Clarion
“Okay, maybe some of you know about this YouTube series, but this is the first I’ve heard of it. And I LOVE it! Love Gov imagines how an irresponsible government could be personified as a guy who gives his girlfriend, Alexis, all kinds of bad advice. And then her best friend, Libby (‘Liberty’ - ha ha, get it?) tries to dissuade Alexis from following Gov’s advice and mandates. . . . It’s pretty funny, really. And then you realize Gov’s in all our lives. And it makes you want to cry.” —Chicks on the Right
“No one likes a controlling, overbearing boyfriend. You know the guy I’m talking about. Incessantly checking in, sticking his nose into every and any decision, disapproving of anyone or thing that disagrees with him, and above everything else, claiming he knows what’s best. While this persona of control and ‘knowing best’ could be attributed to many individuals and organizations, one noted institution stands out: the federal government. Our friends at the Independent Institute have addressed this issue through a satirical video series titled Love Gov, highlighting the folly, cost and intrusiveness of certain government policies. . . . The series focuses on a young woman, Alexis, and her relationship with her overbearing, borderline crazy boyfriend, Scott ‘Gov’ Govinsky. ‘Gov’ represents the federal government and continuously introduces havoc into Alexis’ life through his intrusive behavior, which the series uses to allude to federal policies ranging from encouraging student debt to inadequate universal healthcare to privacy violations. The hilarious (yet frightening) big government sentiments vocalized by ‘Gov’ could not have been more spot on. . . . In a day and age when the rhetoric and agenda of the political left has infiltrated educational institutions and youth opinions around the country, Love Gov brings a long-needed fresh of a breath air. Having recently graduated from a left-leaning, private university in Washington D.C., this could not have hit any closer to home for me. . . . Using various examples—ranging from how a twenty-something woman without children has no reason to pay for pediatric dental care to how universities have no incentive to cut costs due to the existence of government-backed student loans—Love Gov breaks through with humor and does what many have tried to do before, but failed. It points out to everyone, and specifically millennials, that the government has been too intrusive and costs Americans too much. Love Gov may only be a five-part video series, but through its ability to simultaneously provoke both laughter and reflection, it has a role to play in helping ignite America’s youth to start a discussion about the role of big government and what we can do to fix it.” —R Street Institute
“A very funny—and educational video series from our good friends over at the Independent Institute, Love Gov is the best pro-liberty video I have seen.” —Anti-Positivist
“Love Gov is a very well-produced, five-part YouTube comedy series that uses a Fatal Attraction-type boyfriend as a metaphor for big government. It makes big issues understandable for those who might not spend much time thinking about government, and it’s funny for political junkies. Watch all of them.” —Ace of Spades Blog
“Need a Laugh? Then you’ll Love Gov . . . A series of videos targeting millennials will have older folks chuckling, and hopefully, the younger generation rethinking the liberal propaganda heaped on them in schools. . . . Every American who has had student loans, owned a business or dealt with the rise in their insurance costs with the advent of Obamacare may want to punch Gov squarely in the mouth. . . Enjoy.” —TKO Stocks
“Love Gov is a very well-produced, five-part YouTube comedy series that uses a Fatal Attraction-type boyfriend as a metaphor for big government. It makes big issues understandable for those who might not spend much time thinking about government, and it’s funny for political junkies. Watch all of them.” —Granite Grok Blog
“Want to see a web series that satirizes the catastrophic, vacuous and invasive nature of government? The Independent Institute has got you covered. The web channel has released a five-episode series called Love Gov: From First Date to Mandate. . . . The humor may be blatant rather than subtle, but it’s always great when government gets made fun of. It’s too bad there aren’t more videos on YouTube chastising the government’s nefarious bureaucracies." —Economic Collapse News
“Clever and Witty." —Scott’s Blog