Ronald Reagan once claimed “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Over time history has been able to back up what Reagan once asserted. In a nation rich in history such as the United States, it is easy to go in either direction with this debate yet the state of the nation usual depicts which direction the people choose. A time such as now, where our great nation has been less fortunate in its last decade yet has found a way to climb out of the dust, it is a perfect time to debate on such a topic. Looking back on the past 80 years, history has many points in which exposes the flaws in our government making it a problem. A government must be popular within its citizens to succeed yet one problem is the public’s disappointment with American democracy. An excellent example of such a problem would come from an African American soldier writing to President Roosevelt in 1944. In a time where racism was running rampant in America, many felt like the government was failing the greater good. “But the picture in our country is marred by one of the strangest paradoxes in our whole fight against world fascism”(pg. 277). The soldier is telling the President that while we are fighting for a world “based upon freedom, equality, and justice”(pg. 277), we do not practice what we preach. At home and within the ranks, the government was letting racism run free. In a time where segregation was not being opposed by the government but embraced, many people thought that the government was the problem. Democracy is where all men are looked at as equal. Well that was the war cry as American soldiers; well mostly white American soldiers, fought for freedom for all while fighting tyranny. This soldier was trying to brin... ... middle of paper ... ...a clear case where the government was the problem. Looking back on the past 80 years, history has many points in which exposes the flaws in our government making it a problem. There are more examples that are looked throughout this essay but most certainly made an impact in history. As said before, it is easy to go in either direction with this debate yet the state of the nation usual depicts which direction the people choose, it is just how people choose to view events. While studying the history of the United States the past 3+ months, the U.S. government has shown to be the problem in most scenarios. With that being said, President Reagan made the correct statement in saying “government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Works Cited Major Problems in American History, Volume 2, 3rd ed. by Elizabeth Cobbs-Hoffman, Cengage Learning
Overall, the growth of the American government should have complimented American culture. Instead, -because of mass corruption, the influence big business, and foreign policy- the enormous growth of the federal government has hindered the great success America was meant to achieve.
Janda, K., Berry, J., Golman, J., & Hula, K. (2009). The Challenge of Democracy: American
One of the most obvious examples of democracy’s endurance is the resistance displayed by the townspeople against their invaders. The oppression and invasion of the conquerors arouse, instead of crush, the desire in the defeated for freedom. These people, who have lived with the idea of a free rule of democracy, refuse to be chained down under the oppressive rule of the conquerors. It is for this reason that they strike back at their invaders. As said by Mayor Orden to Colonel Lanser of the aggressors, “ ‘The people don’t like to be conquered, sir, and so they will not be. Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. Herd men, followers of a leader, cannot do that, and so it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars.’ ” [pp. 185-186] Thus, it is because of their freedom that people believing in the free rule of democracy do not let down and die when conquered, do not accept their being robbed of their rights, and fight against what is unjustly done to them.
Philosophers have struggled with determining the proper role of government. In the absence of government and laws, people could do whatever they wanted, and some of them would try to slaughter others and steal their property. This is the state called anarchy. People have realized that the safety of the people and the country would be in jeopardy in such a state. Thus, it is necessary for a country to have a government and/or ruler. However, a ruler must not have absolute power nor lack authority. But the protection of the people and the country alone is not enough for a country to prosper. The property and the natural rights of the people and the government must also be protected. Thus, the proper role of government is to protect the people’s natural rights, their property, and the people themselves.
The very history of the country, a major contributor to the evolution of its political culture, shows a legacy of democracy that reaches from the Declaration of Independence through over two hundred years to today’s society. The formation of the country as a reaction to the tyrannical rule of a monarchy marks the first unique feature of America’s democratic political culture. It was this reactionary mindset that greatly affected many of the decisions over how to set up the new governmental system. A fear of simply creating a new, but just as tyrannic...
For Americans, the word “democracy” itself is strong enough to conjure up notions of a nation unhindered by an oppressive government where citizens are able to engage in the freedom of speech, press, and religious choice and practice. So powerful are American pro-Democratic sentiments that it is a common thought that any other country that does not prescribe to a liberal democracy is somehow inferior. Yet as time marches on, the feelings of superiority by American citizens become more and more unfounded. For, right before our eyes, the very notion of democracy, that Americans become braggarts about, is disappearing. While the U.S. government boasts of the freedoms it affords its citizens, it corrupts such an image through repeated non-democratic actions. While citizens cherish the affordances of a liberal democracy, many do not make the effort to support such a system; taking it for granted that no matter what, a democracy is a self perpetuating entity. In this paper I will argue that the liberal democracy that supposedly defines American government is a declining entity due to overt acts against the principles of democracy by the United States government and also due to the decline of civic engagement by United States citizens. The fact is, no system of government can be perpetuated if the government and its citizens do not work to keep their ideals alive and in practice.
I think government is important, but does not help preserve human society. History has gone throughout time and earlier generations have not had the knowledge and technology that we have today but we have evolved to what we are now without government. I think government is just there to keep everyone in line with laws and our rights and to control terrorism and making big decisions.
1. Janda, Kenneth. The Challenge of Democracy. Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston, MA. 1999. (Chapter 3 & 4).
...he government have become "a sorry lot" we have become more concerned for the individual self and forgot that we have obligations to one another .Our country would run a lot smoother if our government and its citizens would remember what their responsibilities are. As Abraham Lincoln put it "government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth."
Though the government wants majority rule to be upheld, majority factions are often proved dangerous due to the fact that they may strip the rights of minorities. In Federalist No. 10, Madison states, “When a majority is included in a faction, the form of popular government, on the other hand, enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens” to explain how the existence of large factions can be detrimental to the public good (72). In Chapter 1 of On Liberty, Mill states, “….‘the tyranny of the majority’ is now generally included among the evils against which society requires to be on its guard” to signify how the principle of majority rule can lead to the “tyranny of the majority”, also known as when the power of the majority oppresses a minority group (96). Both Mill and Madison introduce how the concept of a majority rule can harm the interests of the people outside the “majority”. A more concise example is given in Martin Luther King’s letter from Birmingham Jail; in his letter, King describes the atrocities the African Americans face on a daily basis due to the majority opinion that African Americans are not of equal standing as the whites. K...
Government effects my life everyday in a vast variety of ways. From the quality of the milk that I drink in the morning, to the license and Insurance I need to drive my vehicle to school and work. Government also effects the taxes that are deducted from my salary. The government uses this money to protect consumers and provide services for the public amongst many other things.
The first reason the government is gaining too much power is because of George Bush’s police action. He put us through a war that started in 2002, and that was declared as a police action. This was to stop a threat, namely Saddam Hussein who was believed to be holding weapons of mass destruction. Others say it was a call to war after 911 when the
In comparing the average citizen in a democratic nation, say the United States, to that of a non-democratic nation, for instance Egypt, it will be found that the citizen in the democratic nation is generally better off – free of persecution, free from fear of the authorities, and free to express his opinions on governmental matters. And while national conflicts occur everywhere, incidents like violent revolts have shown to be more prevalent in nations where citizens are not allowed to choose who governs them. It is slightly paradoxical that democracy, so inherently flawed in theory, can lead to such successful outcomes in practice. The question, then, becomes: “If democracy has so many weaknesses, why does it work?”
Government is Best which Governs Least I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I would like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe--"That government is best which governs not at all". And when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which the will have. Government is at best expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government.
Some people might not agree that our own government has wrongful plans against us. Some will say, “the government is supposed to help our country.” But is that the case? Society should be prepared. With the gov...