Government policies are supposed to be for the well-being of the people that government serves. The problem is that not all of the people agree that one policy or another is in their best interest; therefore, it can appear that the government is forcing policies on them. The policy making process is very much like a double-edged sword for the government. What may be good for the many will often times not be good for the few, or the one. Even though government is created by the people, it is run by elected officials who won their positions by the majority vote; meaning the minority group often does not benefit. Whether government policies are good or bad for the whole will greatly depend on who is the driving force, the Executive, behind the policies. Mr. Roosevelt stated that Thomas Jefferson believed that government should not interfere with the individual and his inherent rights, but is supposed to protect those rights. However, Jefferson also believed that interference is inevitable because in the attempt to protect the individual rights, the government will, in one way or another, affect those rights. Government cannot possibly protect the rights of all the people even though that is the purpose of government. The results of government policies, good or bad, may not be immediately realized by the populace. It could take years before the outcomes are known, yet some results are realized right away. With each election new faces are added and those faces can make the
The U.S. government’s expansive role in public policy is caught in a swirl of conflicting cross-currents. On the one hand, popular expectations about government’s
The United States and its people are governed by the central force of the government. However, even though the government has been around for centuries, there are those that are still arguing about the purpose of the government. These people include presidents, senators, newscasters, and even the regular people of the United States. The Great man and second president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson once states, “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.” Through the quote, it can be found that Thomas Jefferson believed the purpose of the government is to protect the lives of the people and ensure their happiness. Thomas Jefferson was right when saying that one of the purposes of government is to protect the people, however, protecting the people isn’t all the government does. The purpose of government is to ensure the protection of the people, their rights, and to establish justice for those who need it.
Chapter one of American Public Policy, by B. Guy Peters, gives an in depth explanation of what American public policy is. The definition that Peters gives of Public policy is the” sum of government activities whether pursued directly or through agents, as those activities have an influence on the lives of citizens” (4). This definition of public policy can be categorized into three levels that will make differences in citizen’s lives. The first level is policy choices. This level is when, “decisions made by politicians, civil servants, or other granted authority that are directed toward using public power to affect the lives of the citizens” (4). All of these choices that are made by the president, congressman, or others can evolve into a
The responsibilities of government are to protect its citizens by such means as our armed services or military weapons. Government is to ensure there is a way of fairly maintaining order as an example our police, National Guard, and to ensure every citizen has equal access to items, products, goods such as schools, and highways. However, government or politics often has a negative connotation too many as it is viewed as a way for lobbyists and those with money to make policies that are important or in some way helpful to them. Many view politics as dishonest and that politics is a manner in which someone or group benefits for their own advantage and not for society as a
What is the government’s purpose? As defined by Bastiat, a French economist and author, it is “the organization of the natural right of lawful defense… for the purpose… of doing what they have a right to do, to secure persons, liberties, and properties, and to maintain each in its right, so as to cause justice to reign over all” (The Law 3). Therefore, if the government is doing something other than acting to protect the lives, liberties, or property of its citizens, it is stepping out of its bounds. In regards to the federal government, it has done this to an extreme. Before discussing the problems with the federal government’s megalomania, it is vital to understand the
Our country was colonize by settlers that were looking for a way OUT of their own country in which leaders had too much power they were escaping dictatorship. They knew the consequences of leaders having too much power, which they suffer in their own skin sure this was one the first reasons they decided to leave in perused of freedoms that they didn’t have. With this being set when the time came to delegate power to the government they were sure not to give too much power to no one part of the government, limiting the power of the president not only to prevent their past to repeat but to also create a different type of government that they have never experience before. The limited power of the president is a great strategy of our funding
“the government may not jail, fine, or impose civil liability on people or organizations based on what they say or write, except in exceptional circumstances,” (Stone, Geoffrey). This shows that the government knows the population will try and obstruct, or hinder their progress. That if the citizens are allowed to change everything, that everything would constantly be delayed. In the United States, this is not the case. Over many years, the government has implemented ways that require a majority to get things changed. That way small groups of people can voice their opinions without bringing the government to a halt with changes. If anything, these changes help the government, and show officials were the problems are. They allow the government to see and understand people’s frustrations and work to fix them. In that way, the American government has remained strong, but yet flexible and susceptible to change at the same time.
Jefferson states that a “government is best which governs least,” but what affect does government inaction have of on our society, and what are the forces that promote this inaction? The competition for power between separated institutions is a driving force in this inaction. When the legislative and executive branches of our government engage in a power struggle, policies that could be potentially beneficial suffer at the hands of legislative gridlock. The polarization of the democrat and republican parties also has an impact on the difficulties faced by Congress. A polarized Congress leads to difficulties in legislating because no one is willing to compromise. The competition of power and polarization between
As a citizen of the United States of America it is easy to get caught up with your day to day life and not realize everything going on around you. If you sit back and think about all the ways government affects you, you will be amazed. Let’s discuss our different levels of government, our federalist style of government, the pros and cons associated with our federalist style, the way government affects you daily, the private sector, as well as what things our government is involved in I feel is unnecessary.
In many instances elections will influence a specific policy but will not influence the public policy of the country. The fundamental cause is that the majority of voters do not have the minimal and basic knowledge requirements to control public policy. People make decisions about what they know, for instance higher taxes leave a person with less money and they will as they say vote their wallet. In that instance tax policy may be changed but the overall public policy of foreign affairs, education, housing will not change because the electorate is not knowledgeable about many of those issues. In many ways voters are very ignorant about politics and do not know what is in their best interest.
Since the beginning of humanity, there have always been the rulers, and the ruled. The rulers have always been the government, and the ruled has always been the people. One would believe that the government would be truthful and be interested in their people's well being, but clearly, this is not the case. In fact, lies are often more common than the truth. Facts are changed based on the governing party's current needs. The government wants to control their people, to have an unquestioning, thoughtless population that make them more powerful, as this is their main priority. As a generalisation, the government is more interested in their well-being than that of the people who drive it.
We live in this country for the land, and the for the free as Americans we rely on many attributes in this world in order for us to live our lives. Our government has supplied us with many great things for us to be proud of. Our government is “the institutions and processes though which public policies are made for society.” (Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry, p. 7). With all these institutions which includes the President, Congress, the courts and all the federal administrative agencies. These are the institutions that make up public policies for us, and to shape the way we live as Americans. The way this system has been operating through all the years has been
The role of government has developed throughout the years changing the way we view and act in society today. For example, the national government ensure that the citizens of the United States are all treated equally, applies law and order, and provides opportunities. The government has changed dramatically since we now have social media, newspapers, and the radio. However , not only has the government provided a strong impact in society in a positive way, but it has also impacted the society in negative ways. As a nation the public has found many imperfection in our government that they want to change. Public opinion has caused negative feedback through media and political participation . The government is trying to help the people by
The American people have come to expect that the government should take care of them. They expect the government to provide social security, regulation of food and medicines, protect consumers, and a whole bunch of other concerns and interests. The government can not provide these things without bureaucracies. People tend to consider bureaucracies as huge overgrown parts of the government, but this is rarely the case with most bureaucracies short on necessary training, funding, supplies and equipment – to carry out the huge task of serving the American people. The government is providing the most it can for Americans with the least amount of spending. The people govern in a democratic government, and if the
Should government have the right to interfere in our private lives? Does being part of a representative democracy mean that we abdicate our freedom to make our own choices in the name of the good of all?