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Governments, at every level, have three basic responsibilities, to maintain a basic standard of living, to encourage competition, and progress in a capitalistic society, and to ensure basic rights, and liberties. all men are created equal... they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness... to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, this is how John Hancock described the purpose of government, a view shared by many of the founding fathers. They believed that governments largest responsibility was to protect its citizens essential rights, and liberties, and that government should help its citizens to achieve happiness, and prosperity. For governments to help their constituents, and society succeed they must maintain a basic standard of living.
A basic standard of living is needed to ensure that all members of society can peruse Happiness. People need a way to move upwards in society and on the economic ladder. To do so they must be given the tools to improve their standard of living, they must have access to public education, they must not have to live in fear of falling victim to violent crime, and they must be able to get access to very basic medical care. However, government must encourage people to move upwards in society, not to stay in poverty, frightened of jeopardizing the very aid that is meant to help them get out of it. Also having a very large, very poor working class without a decent standard of living does not bode well for those in the upper tiers of that society. Such conditions have been shown time and time again to be the breeding ground for violent revolutions that cause chaos, bloodshed and tyranny, as seen in the French and Russian revolutions.
Capitalism works wonderfully to advance society, and individuals standard of living. However, government must encourage competition, and prevent corporations from taking advantage of consumers. If Capitalism were to go un-hindered massive monopolies would form, and quickly lose the incentive to create a better product/service because of lack of competition. It is the duty of government to prevent that from happening, and encourage growth and competition. Capitalism also provides little incentive for corporations to be honest with consumers when informing them about their products/services quality/effectiveness. Government must encourage corporations to be honest by testing their product and penalizing them for misleading the public. It is the obligation of government to maintain a productive environment for capitalism to move society foreword at an ever-increasing rate.
Governments primary responsibility to its electors is to preserve a free society. Without the basic liberties to write, speak and pray however, whatever and to whomever you wish is a basic right that only tyrants would think of taking away. A government that takes away these rights, even with the support of the majority of its people has given in to the myth that sometimes the ways justify the means. Such regimes are never looked upon favorably by succeeding generations, no matter how sensible they seem at the time. Taking away basic rights prevents the government from being accountable; dishonesty and tyranny become commonplace and the regime soon finds itself acting in ways its citizens would abhor.
These three duties of government to maintain a basic standard of living, to encourage progress in a capitalistic society, and to ensure basic rights, and liberties are what every government should restrict itself to. Although it is tempting for politicians to overstep these boundaries, they must honor them and avoid the attractions of totalitarianism. Electors too, must keep these basic principals in mind when they are casting their vote, who has stayed within reason and maintained these limits best? Who has decided that government should perpetually enlarge itself? Who has not met these responsibilities and left society demanding government fufil its obligations to its people? Who has led society the best?
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