The Role of Government

Detail from Elihu Vedder, Government (1896). Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.

There’s something about partisan politics that just drives me crazy. For the longest time I just couldn’t figure out what it was. I couldn’t understand how people could be so completely outspoken about how their party is great and noble and the other party is basically a physical manifestation of all evil. I refer, of course, to both the Democratic and the Republican parties here because there are people like this in both. If you really want some entertainment, put them together in the same room and just mention any of the following words: abortion, capitalism, free trade, religion, healthcare, or even global warming.

The polarization in politics generally grows stronger in election season anyway, but this seems to be an especially tumultuous season because it’s more “cool” to be politically involved. This time, however, amongst all of the abundant debate, bitterness, and politicking as usual, I’ve noticed something: these political debates will never cease, these people will never see eye-to-eye, and they will never reach an agreement because, amongst other things, they don’t agree on perhaps the most fundamental issue: the primary role of the government. This is clearly manifest in the biases that people have, and these biases can and often do blind people somewhat from being able to see things from another’s point of view and come to an understanding. It doesn’t even mean they have to agree, but just merely understanding would be a great step.

Realizing just how important it is to keep this in mind and use it to frame my views of our nation and world, I will start my blogging on this topic. As much as I try to be open-minded and consider issues from an independent point of view, some of my biases may fall more in line with the ideals of one party or the other. My hope is that I will be able to identify these biases and ideals relating to what I consider to be the primary role of the government in our lives, nation, and world.

I have always been fascinated by the American Revolution. I love history, which is probably my favorite topic of conversation. The American Revolution happens to be my favorite part of history. I draw a lot of inspiration from the founding fathers of our country. They are my greatest heroes. I truly believe they had an inspired vision for our nation – one they were willing to put their lives on the line to support. It’s easy to romanticize and idealize this part of history, especially when looking at it from hind sight. As such, it’s important to remember that the nation was still very imperfect, subject to major political divisions, and made some significant mistakes, even during such an inspiring time in history.

My view of the primary role of government stems in large part from this time in history. It was a time when the colonies were increasingly outraged by the actions of England, ranging from an unwanted war to “unfair taxation” to violations of their “rights” to a lack of elected representation. You may note that these issues are still forefront issues in America today as well. Some historians look back at the conditions that led up to the revolution and consider it as having been driven more so by greed than by a true revolution. I disagree. Seeing just what our nation has become offers enough evidence for me to see it as a truly inspirational event in history.

As I mentioned before, many of my ideas of the role of government stem from this time period. As much as I wish to write more about them, that is just not realistic for me. I will definitely revisit these in greater depth in the future, so for the time being I will be brief. Here are some of my basic views:

1. Power corrupts and too strong of a government can be a very dangerous thing.
2. Checks and balances are necessary to keep any individual or select few from becoming too powerful and exercising unfair and excessive ruling authority.
3. All people have the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
4. All people are entitled to the rights outlined in the Bill of Rights.
5. America is a land of liberty, and our government's ability to infringe on or limit our rights should be minimized as much as possible.
6. The primary purpose of our government is to protect us and our freedoms from those that would seek to take our freedoms away – even ourselves.
7. All people are created equal – meaning equality in opportunities and inalienable rights. This also specifically means equality in rules, not outcomes.
8. Taxes – the forceful seizure of the property of another (i.e. “legalized theft”) – are despicable and should be minimized or eliminated as best as possible. When they are necessary, they should be used only to provide critical services to the people that are not feasibly provided otherwise.
9. Government is made to serve the people, not the people to serve the government.
10. We are to be ruled by elected officials whose actions are to reflect the best interests of the people they serve.
    

This is obviously not a comprehensive list, but I think it is a good start. There are more, and I will disclose those in the future as I consider more specific issues. In the meantime, I hope that this will offer something to think about and consider.