The Key Function of Government Today, it is widely accepted that a key function of Government should be to provide for and ensure the welfare of its people. In the early 20th century, that view was not held by the vast majority of people. The prevailing ideology of Laissez-Faire (“leave alone”) said that the state should stay out of the lives of the people. Any state intervention in the economic or social world would be a hindrance to individual freedom and a step towards tyranny. Poverty and unemployment were the results of the moral inadequacies of individuals. It is in this environment that the Liberal Government of 1906 would be elected, with a massive majority of 400. Their manifesto promised to protect “free trade”, as opposed to the Conservative policy of tariffs. Social reforms, even if planned, were not mentioned. Nevertheless, between 1906 and 1914, the Liberals made a series of welfare reforms including the first state pension, national health insurance system and unemployment legislation. The 1906 election was notable for another reason. The emerging Labour party, promising to improve the lives of working people, gained 24 seats in parliament. Although the MP’s were aligned with the Liberals on most issues, their mere presence was still significant. For the first time, there was an organised working class alternative to the Liberals. This essay will discuss to what extent the Liberal reforms were motivated by this “threat” from the Labour Party: Or whet... ... middle of paper ... ...to marginalize rather than accommodate them. Motivated by a kind of ‘Imperial angst’ that had sprung up at the end of the 19th century, the Liberals decided to strive for a new ‘national efficiency. The re-unification of Germany, and it’s sudden growth into a superpower under Bismarck, coupled with the ever increasing might of the U.S.A, led many to believe that Britain’s position as the main Imperial power would be under threat. These fears were only worsened when the ‘great British army’ had struggled to victory over a group of disgruntled South African farmers in the Boer War. It was believed that social and welfare reforms would be a panacea to these problems, creating a more cohesive society and a population of skilled and healthy workers who could work productively and be good soldiers if and when required.
I have arrived at some temporary solutions to problems regarding political philosophy in the real world. For the most part, the debate over the ideal political philosophy has been narrowed down to two choices: socialism and capitalism. I agree with this. However, blending in with that debate my own conviction that toleration and moderation are the keys to success in any situation, I have concluded that there are, for purposes of this discussion, two types of political philosophies, and each is best served by a compromise between socialism and capitalism.
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.
government’s ability to hold true to its true purpose, which is to establish a government
1. An assessment of the strengths of the institutions mentioned implicitly recalls the most central strength of government as outlined in the constitution, namely its division into three major branches: legislative, executive and judicial. Regarding the legislative branch (Congress), its major strength is the opportunity – indeed, the mandate - to represent the interests and preferences of the citizens who elect representatives to conduct “the people’s business.” The laws and programs that guide social action and distribute resources to various interest groups may often be contentious due to the diversity of the American population, but the mechanism by which they are enacted remains one of the most successful in the history of political systems.
The federal system is a very complex because it allocates responsibility to state and federal government. Our federal system is one which powers are divided by the central government and state government. They both act directly upon the citizens and must agree with constitutional changes. The division of power among the states and federal government is called federalism. In the past there have been smart president and leader that gave the federal government more power than the states. We have view our country shift powers among the states and central government.
We often wonder about the importance of government. Is it necessary? Does it really benefit society? The answer is yes. Many countries have diverse forms of government such as totalitarian, monarchy, theocracy, and much more. The United States of America specifically runs a democratic type of government. A democratic government gives power to the people. Citizens over the age of eighteen are allowed to elect leaders based on their individual opinions through voting rights. The main purpose of the American government is, to protect people’s inalienable rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness as our Founding Fathers intended.
One example of government is a regime ruled by democratic ideas. A government under this type of rule has specific qualities that distinguish it as a democracy. For instance, many people can have an impact to a democracy; they can possess some power. "It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few" (Benjamin Jowett). However, when one citizen among the people stands out, it can be a positive aspect towards public service. As stated in The History of Thucydides, "when a citizen is in any way distinguished, he is preferred to the public service, not as a matter of privilege, but as the reward of merit" (Benjamin Jowett). A citizen that is different from the rest should not be taken as beneficial towards public service, but as a gift of excellence. A democracy allows citizens to have this ability. In addition, a government under democratic rule consists of laws that create an equity among citizens. "But while the law secures equal justice to all alike in their private disputes, the claim of excellence is also recognized" (Benjamin Jowett). Conflicts and issues can occur in a society, but laws play a role in taming them. This is a reason as to how people are granted the same amount of justness and fairness among each other. Two characteristics among a democracy include having a unique citizen that is right for the public, and allowing laws to protect everyone's fair play.
In history, there have been many times where nations has stumbled upon situations in deciding its type of control. One is monarchy, another is dictatorship and so on. The purpose of government is to protect equality and individual rights. The means of a government is in order to protect the individual rights of its citizens; This includes establishing power and deciding what must be done for the cause of its people.
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 federal bureaucracy of the U.S. is necessary. These government agencies help society understand the laws of our nation clearly. In other words, the federal bureaucracy implements regulate and administer policies to be executed by their citizens. The different federal agencies help with unity and organization. Therefore, without the federal bureaucracy we would all be clueless. There is a lot of responsibilities that the federal government must accomplish, and these federal organizations help with keeping America organized by dividing specific jobs of the security. Organizations like the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service are focused on the rules passed down from legislation to help the general welfare. Furthermore,
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.
Over the centuries, many political philosophers, historians, and thinkers have ventured to identify the ideal form of government: a theory which truly takes into account human nature as a whole and applies it accordingly. Human nature, when looked at holistically, is essentially good - men will not annihilate each other if left without a ruler, but motivation, protection, and some degree of rights must be accommodated in order to allow a state to thrive to its greatest capacity. Thus a ruler should be judged by his ability to protect the people and secure their rights, and he should come to power by the collective consent of the people. The perfect government is one in which the ruler has only the power which allows him to aid the people and the state, protect their rights, and ensure their protection. Society and the sovereign are reciprocally obliged towards each other, and they may only be content as long as both factions are appeased.
Over all the appropriate role of government has always been an argument discussing whether it is actually helping our economy or is the government gaining too much power over the markets. However the economy could not prosper without the actions imposed to assist in diffusing the power over the markets and regulating as well as enforcing the law in order for things to done in a beneficial way to both the consumers and the markets.
The role of the citizen is a role with many parts that make up one model character. A good citizen must remain loyal to its country and respect all laws laid down by its government. They also work to improve their communities and stay up-to-date on all the goings-on. But what is a citizen? What makes someone a citizen? When you are a citizen, how do you be a good one? All of those questions and more are answered in this dissertation.
What makes our nation a free land, what protects from tyranny, what gives us the natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? The Declaration of Independence. This document list ideals of our rights. While the Declaration of Independence is pretty much the most important document in history, listing all these ideals, which ideal is the most important? Before knowing which is most important, it is important to know the history of our most valued document, the Declaration of Independence was created after the French and Indian War, when Britain tried to tax the colonists. Protests led to rebellion, and war began, however, the Second Continental Congress sought peaceful resolutions,