Posted on 01/25/2008 8:19:08 AM PST by pgyanke
Fellow FReepers,
I participate in a policy discussion group. Weve only just started and had a couple of interesting discussions. After the last conversation, we agreed to start at a bedrock level and begin by looking at the proper functions of government rather than arguing about current evolved policy. The following is one email I received on the subject:
Greetings all. I'd list the following as governmental responsibilities.
- Defense and public safety
- Economic stabilization and money supply regulation
- Economic infrastructure
- Economic regulation of free market deviations such as monopolies
- Regulation of the environment so as to provide reasonably safe air and water
- Economic safety net such as old age pensions, aid to the disabled, unemployed and poor
- Education
- Adequate health care
- Protection of basic civil liberties
About the level of provision, the Constitution can give some guidance, but in general if a problem does not respect state boundaries such as pollution or a threat to national security, it should be addressed at the national level. An additional issue is perverse economic behavior. For example, if one jurisdiction provides good higher cost education and all the wealthy people move, it does not work. This argues for financing many public goods at higher levels of government.
I firmly believe that it is contract law that drives much of the prosperity we see in America. That's one of the reasons I view with great alarm trends over the past decade or so of abrogating contracts by governmental fiat. One recent example of this is the pressure brought to bear by the feds regarding "sub-prime" lending. While in this particular case they didn't actually come out and impose their will with tanks, the threat was clearly there.
Unless you're arguing with an outright communist (there are more of them around than you'd believe, though they may not realize it themselves), you might want to bring out Marx's Communist Manifesto. Though many won't particularly care that just about every single one of his 10 planks are official policy of the U.S. government, some will see the death and destruction Karl has wrought and consider that following down that particular path might not be the best thing to do.
I must say though, that attempting to argue from first principles is a tough row to hoe, as most people have neither the time nor inclination to examine why they believe what they do.
The problem is not with government and constitutions but with confusing the state with government. The Press, for example, is an institution of the state but not part of government. Government has a role that varies from state to state. The state will have all these functions and many more not usually seen clearly as state institutions, and government will have some regulatory power over markets. The military is not part of government but an institution of the state although at present funded by government to avoid corruption.
Greetings. I did read your post. You wanted a list of the proper responsibilities of government, and that is what I provided to you.
Cool, I’m famous! :)
Sincerely, you have some great resources on your page. Nice collection of quotes, some of which are new to me.
Thanks for the kind words, I’ll accept them even from a Raiders fan.
I have to admit... this does call my judgement to question...
Didn’t this ground get plowed in the Federalist Papers? After all, it was the justification for ratification of the new Constitution.
It did... but we’re talking about compiling a simple list of the appropriate functions of government. Rather than spending weeks combing the Papers, I decided to go further back to their foundations to come up with my list... one item: protect private property.
Besides, as I pointed out to others... these guys have already stated their lack of reverence for the Constitution... quoting it further would not win arguments. I need to rebuild its foundations for them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.