Print ArticleRonald Reagan once said, "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." This quote comes to mind every time I hear someone bellyaching about how the government is not doing enough about high gas prices, the mortgage crisis, unemployment, poverty, hunger, and other modern maladies. People who make such complaints obviously believe that government could find the answers to all their problems, if only elected officials would try hard enough.
Since this misguided sentiment is so prevalent among the public, politicians running for office exploit it by making outlandish promises, to include fixing everything that the current officeholders have been unable to do anything about. We see it all the time. Then, when those politicians get into office and don´t (or can´t) deliver on their promises, the cycle of murmuring begins all over again, with a new batch of candidates rising up and promising all kinds of governmental cures to all that ails society.
It may come as a surprise to some people, but governments do not control everything. They don´t control most things. They can´t. In fact, history has taught us that whenever governments try to take charge of things that should be left to the free market, matters only get worse. For example, look at what the so-called war on poverty has done to the poor in America. It has inadvertently instilled generations of people with such a sense of entitlement that they depend on government for their livelihoods and have no desire to better themselves. It has created scores of low-rent public housing projects that have become centers for urban blight, and where the truly needy are forced to live along side violent criminals and drug addicts. It has broken up families by encouraging fathers to stay away from their children, resulting in more unwed births and single-parent homes, which in turn have resulted in more kids turning to a life of crime. And the war on poverty is just one example out of many I could have chosen.
So what is the proper role of government? It is to do for its citizens what they cannot reasonably do for themselves as individuals. These things include (but are not limited to) national defense, the building and maintenance of public roads, highways, and buildings, law enforcement, and the stewardship of national parks and lands. The government is not supposed to provide a living for its citizens; it´s supposed to get out of the way and let them provide a living for themselves. It´s not supposed to play Robin Hood, taking from the rich and giving to the poor; it´s just supposed to make sure everyone plays by the same rules, without regard to the outcome. It´s not supposed to intervene every time large portions of the populace make bad decisions; it´s just supposed guard their freedom to make those decisions. It´s not supposed to try to solve all of society´s ills; it´s supposed to (in most cases) create an atmosphere that will encourage the free market to do so.
If we would keep all of these principles in mind, we would start looking to ourselves and the free market system for answers more often and stop complaining about the government so much. We would also make better decisions at the ballot box and get a government that stays within its intended limits.
Since this misguided sentiment is so prevalent among the public, politicians running for office exploit it by making outlandish promises, to include fixing everything that the current officeholders have been unable to do anything about. We see it all the time. Then, when those politicians get into office and don´t (or can´t) deliver on their promises, the cycle of murmuring begins all over again, with a new batch of candidates rising up and promising all kinds of governmental cures to all that ails society.
It may come as a surprise to some people, but governments do not control everything. They don´t control most things. They can´t. In fact, history has taught us that whenever governments try to take charge of things that should be left to the free market, matters only get worse. For example, look at what the so-called war on poverty has done to the poor in America. It has inadvertently instilled generations of people with such a sense of entitlement that they depend on government for their livelihoods and have no desire to better themselves. It has created scores of low-rent public housing projects that have become centers for urban blight, and where the truly needy are forced to live along side violent criminals and drug addicts. It has broken up families by encouraging fathers to stay away from their children, resulting in more unwed births and single-parent homes, which in turn have resulted in more kids turning to a life of crime. And the war on poverty is just one example out of many I could have chosen.
So what is the proper role of government? It is to do for its citizens what they cannot reasonably do for themselves as individuals. These things include (but are not limited to) national defense, the building and maintenance of public roads, highways, and buildings, law enforcement, and the stewardship of national parks and lands. The government is not supposed to provide a living for its citizens; it´s supposed to get out of the way and let them provide a living for themselves. It´s not supposed to play Robin Hood, taking from the rich and giving to the poor; it´s just supposed to make sure everyone plays by the same rules, without regard to the outcome. It´s not supposed to intervene every time large portions of the populace make bad decisions; it´s just supposed guard their freedom to make those decisions. It´s not supposed to try to solve all of society´s ills; it´s supposed to (in most cases) create an atmosphere that will encourage the free market to do so.
If we would keep all of these principles in mind, we would start looking to ourselves and the free market system for answers more often and stop complaining about the government so much. We would also make better decisions at the ballot box and get a government that stays within its intended limits.
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