Should Government Exist?
Short Answer
Yes
Introduction to Long Answer/Essay
Having a government implemented in almost all of the countries on Earth with a lot succeeding in the furthering and progress of themselves clearly indicates that a government should exist and beneficially effects society. However, there are many other points as to why a form of government should exist; as well as which specific type of government is the best compared to others.
Why? Why not?
Simple Answer
Government is needed to protect law and order, to protect property rights, and defend civil rights.
Long Answer/Essay
One point in which supports the statement “governments should exist” is the underlying fact that without a kind of authority, people can do anything- even the morally incorrect. People can kill someone and loot money by stealing without anyone stopping them. No one would want this, which is why the conclusion is that without a government, chaos will occur.
Furthering the argument before, without some sort of organization, libraries, schools, hospitals, and other essential public places will not be able to go on. People will not run these crucial social locations and in turn will make future generations ignorant; many people will die, etc. As a result, there would be no one to help run these necessary buildings and because of that, negative impacts will occur.
The next piece of evidence is the fact that without a government, no one would pay taxes, and no one would want to fund services every month. We would have to learn how to perform operations on ourselves, fight our own crime, put out our own fires, and grow our own food. Even the smallest coincidence can have a devastating effect upon us, such as a drought or being unable to grow our own food because of a broken leg. Therefore, not only can a government help us in our time of need, they help us progress.
Many people might ask, “How can a government help society progress?” The scenario earlier stated is similar to how people in the Stone Age used to be, which brings us to the next point; governments help progress our society. With government, we can enforce morality, logic, and reasoning in which everyone can abide which indeed further the progress of society. A great example of this is human history. Throughout history, we have started from the simplest types of a civilization, from owning slaves, to monarchies, to world domination, until we get to our present time.
The Free Rider problem is also a main reason as to why a government is beneficial.
An example of this would be,
"A common example of a free rider problem is defence spending: no one person can be excluded from being defended by a state's military forces, and thus free riders may refuse or avoid paying for being defended, even though they are still as well guarded as those who contribute to the state's efforts. Therefore, it is usual for governments to avoid relying on volunteer donations, using taxes and, in some countries, conscription instead.”
-Wikipedia
Government is indeed the primary mechanism by which societies address free rider problems. In addition to fiscal measures noted above, regulation is another form of collective action taken by governments to resolve free riders problems such as environmental degradation or excessive resource use. Therefore, having a government will immediately eliminate the free rider problem.
Possibly the most fundamental reason as to why we need a government is to have all of the privileges we have today. With the help of a government, we funded the research for science and technology, leading up to Einstein’s famous equation of E=mc^2, we funded the preservation of priceless artifacts, paintings like the Mona Lisa, and everything else we can see and acknowledge. We can even see that the civics teacher is teaching our class because of the help of the government.
Conclusion
At the surface level, a government should, without doubt, exist to help evolve our population. Yet at a deeper level, the government affects an exponential amount more than most people think; even to the extent where it greatly affects our day to day lives. The government helps protect law and order, property rights, defend civil rights, morals and ethics, funds the tools of logic and reasoning, helps every individual by giving them a way out of a crisis, and helps avoid the common free rider problem. Because of these evidences, the righteous conclusion to be made is that governments should exist.
What’s The Best Type of Government?
Short Answer
Democracy
Table for Reference
| Authoritarian (communism, monarchy, etc.)
| Anarchy (no government)
| Democracy (republic, social democracy |
| Pros: In times of crisis a strong central government is necessary. E.g. FDR during the Great Depression. | Pros: You’re free to do anything | Pros: Everyone has a say |
| Cons: Only a few people have a say | Cons: you’re free to do anything | Cons: Everyone has a say, propaganda can mislead people |
Long Answer/Essay
Introduction
Democracy is defined as “the government of the people”, by the people. All other branches of government types have failed in where democracy has triumphed; though it may not be the perfect system, it is surely the best type of government.
However, many people think an authoritarian government (such as communism and monarchy) may be the best choice. They say that “in times of crisis, a strong central government is necessary”. The fallacious misconception of their argument was that they have yet to acknowledge the fact that an actual crisis may not even occur. In addition to that, an authoritarian government isn’t the best type of government mainly for the fact that only a few people have a say, compared to a democracy (which is where everyone has a say). There is also a high chance that the few people who have these rights mainly take advantage of them. Some good examples of this particular scenario are the USSR (Soviet Union), and North Korea. Furthermore, some may say communism (a type of authoritarian government) is better, however what they have missed is that in the long run, an eventual economic disaster will spew out because of the end result that communism does not reward the people who do more work, thus making people only doing the minimum requirements. Because of all of the aforementioned points, the profound conclusion is that an authoritarian government is not the best type of government.
The next option is the option in which there is no government at all – anarchy. As earlier stated in the earlier essay, having no government will deliver chaos within our society and will not help us progress in anyway.
The final type is the one which should be the best type of government in peoples’ eyes; democracy. Democracy is the best because of the reasoning that everyone can have a say and no one’s voices will be left out. However, there are some cons to this kind of governing system. For example, one might say that when everyone has a say, the peoples’ popular choices may not always be the best. Others might also say that propaganda can mislead a vast number of voters’ votes. What they fail to mention is that with proper educational resources built into our society with a democratic government, the popular vote will stay on the right plane and will not meander down a bad choice. Some good examples of prosperous democratic countries are the United States and Canada. Therefore, the supposed counterarguments of democracy are debunked and democracy remains as the best type of government.
Conclusion
The huge and controversial debate about “which type of government is the best” is an ongoing and perpetual process which may never stop. However, due to the vast number of successes and the benefits of a democratic government, the unifying conclusion is that a democracy is the best type of government.
NOTE: I did not include the sub-categories of democracy, such as republic, social democracy, etc.
Bibliography
Not Specified. (not specified). List of Forms of Government. Retrieved from September 16th, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forms_of_government
Andy Su, “Pwnage” at Politics, September 16th 2010
Not specified. (not specified). Free Rider Problem. Retrieved from September 16th, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_rider_problem
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