Government is not a four letter word

A lot of politicians and many well-financed special interest groups today want you to see government as the ultimate pariah.  Whether at the federal, state or local level, they attempt to paint government as an unnecessary burden to citizens.

This has not always been the case.

When the framers of the Constitution gathered in Philadelphia in 1787, they were anxious about the absence of effective government under the Articles of Confederation.  Foreign powers were seeking to splinter the new nation and the individuals states were engaged in economic competition that threatened financial chaos.  The framers knew civilized society could not function without effective government. 

Structuring a system capable of creating rules to regulate political and economic interaction and of maintaining those rules in a responsible manner was the first priority of the Constitutional Convention.  And for most of our nation’s history this system has functioned  well---the Civil War being a major exception  that proved the rule.

As our nation has grown in population and geography, the world has becomes more complex and our lives more intertwined economically and socially at home and abroad.  Consequently, government has become even more essential to our security and prosperity.  America can no longer be characterized as a vast frontier where the rugged individual can fend for himself without help from neighbors and fellow citizens. 

Government is the vehicle by which individuals can address needs and concerns normally beyond our capacity to accomplish as individuals.  Streets and highways, airports and seaports, education, water and sewer, law enforcement and public safety, adequate health care and shelter, management of the economy, national security and international relations, all are areas where government can act more competently and efficiently on our behalf than we can on an individual basis.

Yes, historically, Americans have expressed skepticism about relying too much on government.  But even that paragon of “limited government” Thomas Jefferson took the broader view when confronted with the opportunity to double the nation’s land size and eliminate a potential foreign threat.  Over the years presidents of both major parties have exercised the authority of government with vigor when the national interest and the general welfare appeared at risk.

And yes, government can be inefficient and ineffective.  But when this is the case, we have not junked it, we have fixed it.  That has been the critical role of our elected representatives---overseeing government to make sure it performs as it should.

That government is sometimes inefficient or ineffective should not be a surprise.  So are banks, insurance companies, telephone companies, hospitals and drug companies.  No one suggests we do away with any of these bureaucratic institutions.  They do, however, require our careful observation---and yes, regulation.

It is not that government is always the best vehicle for addressing a particular problem or need, but when politicians and their special interest patrons rail so vociferously against “government” in a universal sense, they discourage responsible consideration of the real role of government.  Many issues facing our society require thoughtful deliberation as well as genuine empathy for the hopes and dreams of all our citizens.    

Beware the politician whose mantra is “government is the problems, not the solution.” He is expressing a reluctance to perform the duties of his office.  It could be he does not understand his responsibilities as your representative, but more likely he recognizes a stronger obligation to some special interest that has contributed to his election campaign and wants to avoid government oversight and scrutiny.

It is ironic that in his famous essay on dangers of political factions, James Madison took the position that in a large republic the multiplicity of interests would prevent any one faction from threatening democracy.  Madison did recognize that the greatest “durable source of faction” would be economic.  He could not have foreseen, however, the concentration of wealth plaguing America today.

During the past four decades in America powerful interests with access to huge sums of money and a sympathetic Supreme Court have aggressively sought to undermine our political system, seeking inordinate influence over the levers of government at all levels.  In the 2016 elections more than $6.5 billion dollars were contributed to candidates and causes.  Corporations and wealthy individuals provided most of the money with approximately one tenth coming from the richest 100 families.

The United States today is still a well-populated, sophisticated nation of more than 300 million people, envied by much of the world.  Our capacity to sustain our place in the world, however, is being called in to question by our failure to address the basic goals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If we are to have a viable and equitable society in the future, we need elected officials who believe in the efficacy and necessity of a government that serves all the people.