Survey: What should be the mission of government?
Saturday, May 8th, 2010 at
1:56 pm
I’ve made a list (not that I endorse all on the list)
Education for all?
Quality, affordable education?
Defense?
Rule of law?
Free market economics?
Economic stability?
Ensure economic equality?
Enforcement of contracts?
Police?
Fire?
Bridges and Highways?
Quality, affordable transportation system?
Quality, affordable health care system for all?
Quality, affordable health care system for seniors?
Free health care?
Individuals are responsible for their own health care?
Disability insurance?
Energy infrastructure?
Welfare?
Social Security?
Energy mandates?
Environmental protection?
Protect civil liberties?
Enforce morals?
Efficient and low taxes?
How would you define yourself on the political spectrum?
Just curious re: your values
The fundamental purpose of government, the reason we give up our inherent rights to it, is to defend our life, liberty, and property better than they would be in a state of anarchy.
Also, government should provide infrastructure for the common good if that infrastructure cannot be efficiently provided by the free market. That means roads, schools, prisons, police and fire protection. Energy infrastructure is kind of a grey area, as are transportation networks like airports and railways. Government once had a big role in communications infrastructure, but it has gotten cheaper to the point where the government need not interfere. On the other hand, health care has gotten more expensive to the point where the government may need to interfere at some point (although I don’t think that point is here yet). The state should not be in the business of providing wellfare/social security except at an absolute bare minimum level to keep people–especially kids–from starving. Another area where government influence should grow is protecting the environment. Resources like clean air and water and biodiversity could once be taken for granted. But regulation is now needed to control how public assets are used for private gain.
And yes, whereever possible, all of these functions should be provided by states, which are in theory at least sovereign bodies. The federal government should be minimally involved except in things the states could not adequately do on their own–like defense and managing foreign affairs and managing interstate commerce (which shouldn’t be liberally interpreted to mean doing anything) and controlling interstate crime and the like.
to uphold the constitution.
NOTHING MORE.
The preservatoin of Liberty, we have no liberty as it stands now
i would consider myself a moderate conservative, the government does do all that however i agree with you that in that i don’t agree with all that was listed above.
To protect its citizens from dangers from without and within and to serve the will of its citizens and to protect their rights.
Uphold the Constitution.
To self distruct
The government’s job is to keep the American people safe and to maintain our infrastructure. Water and sewer lines, police, fire, etc. And yes, they should also follow the Constitution as it is, rather than trying to change it to fit their power hungry ways.
We Need Common Sense – Honesty – Accountability – Term Limits for All Elected Officials, with NO LIFE TIME Benefits for even Only One Term of Service?!
We Need Our President to Honor America for What She has Done Throughout the World and Not Disgrace her! We Need to Collect All the Money from All the Countries involved in the Reconstruction (Germany, England, Japan, Russia, South America – In just about All) and Get out Money Back! Not ONE PENNEY HAS BEEN PAID from WWII!
We Need to Abide by the Teachings of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution! We Need to make America Great Again with NO Deceit and NO Dis-Honesty Any More of Any Elected Official!
This is My Prayer for America!
Peace to All and God Bless! Jane.
Knowing that the government should represent us, American citizens, I expect the gov to control all of the above.
In the US, we have been controlled for decades by our corporations. They send lobbyists to Washington and they make our congressmen pass laws to allow those corporations to make a quick buck. This is wrong.
As it should be (I agree it’s not really the case), the government should be us. We should make the decisions on what is best for all of us … greedy CEOs shouldn’t have a say … but they do.
The right wing always complains about being controlled by the gov. I’d rather be controlled by "us" than greedy corporations (which realize record profit ($40 billion for Exxon last year) while firing people)
The Federal Government is supposed to uphold the Constitution of the United States. The 10th Amendment states that all not specifically given to the federal govt by the constitution belongs to the states.
Defense
Rule of law
Protect civil liberties
These are the only thin in your list that the Constitution specifically gives to the Federal govt. Everything else should be and is in my opinion "Unconstitutional"
"to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ouselves and our Posterity"
I believe many of the items on your list could arguably fall under this definition.
Typical liberal bait and switch trick question. I can easily produce links to dozens of similar equally deceptive questions, no sweat.
Which government Sir are you talking about, is it state goverment or US federal government, or maybe World Government? I intentionally push it to the point of utter absurdity, see try as you can you cannot escape World Government, because the earth is round.
Similarly if you want
Quality, affordable health care system for all?
institute it in your own state Sir, so that I could escape to somewhere else from your
Quality, affordable health care system for all.
Oh, wait, in your wonderful Golden State of California you already instituted
Quality, affordable health care system for all
only to see how scum flocked to your state and productive people and business companies fled and you now have $12 billion, $25 billion, $42 billion deficit, I lost track already, then triple car tax, then $8 billion deficit on top of that, and 8%, 10.5%, 11.2% unemployment, 3rd worst housing bubble, and a lot a lot more.
See what I mean?
Whenever business can be conducted privately, let it be conducted privately, so that businesses can compete.
Whenever busines can be conducted by the state goverment, let it be conducted at the state level , so that states could compete (people will vote with their feet)
"We can work it out"
Verse 2
"Think of what you’re saying.
You can get it wrong and still you think that it’s all right.
Think of what I’m saying,
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night."
Verse 3
"Try to see it my way,
Only TIME will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long."
I am not liberal, moderate, or conservative.
If we make TIME, things on the list MAY be
worked out by "We the people" who, in time,
may not be liberal, moderate, or conservative.
A friend was adamantly against a certain kind
of medical research. I asked, "What if Shawn’s
*his son* life depended on it? After some time,
He and I worked it out. The words to the song
do not imply idealism to me. They imply honest,
patient, work.
To do what the people want.
And in the case, of healthcare, that means, despite the facts, not bringing in universal healthcare. Which makes it just as well that he has not said he is bringing in universal healthcare.
FACT – the USA spends more on healthcare PER PERSON than any other nation on the planet.
FACT – the US has higher death rates for kids aged under five than western European countries with universal health coverage.
That means that a dead American four year old would have had a better chance of life if they were born in Canada, France, Cuba, Germany, Japan etc, all of which have universal health coverage.
Nuke em all=D