What is the proper role of government?
According to the American Founders, the proper role of government is to protect unalienable rights.
The government cannot rightfully do anything that an individual cannot rightfully do. In other words, if it is wrong for an individual to steal another’s property, then it is wrong for the government to do the same thing.
As Cleon Skousen put it in The 5,000 Year Leap, the government should protect equal rights — not provide equal things.
Competing views include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The role of government is to distribute all things equally (communism).
- The role of the government is to take care of its subjects (democratic socialism).
- The role of the government is to expand its empire (martial societies).
- The role of the government is to “help the little guy” (democracy).
- The role of the government is to promote the interests of “big business” (capitalism).
Why It Matters
By definition, government is force. Behind every government policy is a gun to the heads of citizens saying, “You will do this, or else…”
Therefore, anything other than the philosophy that the proper role of government is to protect unalienable rights always has and always will lead to tyranny.
The more government tries to “help” society, the more tyrannical it becomes. Since the government does not produce, it can only take what others has produced to fulfill its aims.
If it wants to provide welfare, it cannot do so without taking from one person or group of people to give to another. And since government is force, this is, as Frederic Bastiat said, “legal plunder.”
Follow-Up Question: Ideally, how, or by whom, should the poor and disabled be helped, if necessary?
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Stephen Palmer is a book writer for mission-driven leaders, a small business lead generation website design architect and persuasive website copywriter, a co-founder of The Center for Social Leadership, and the author of Uncommon Sense: A Common Citizen’s Guide to Rebuilding America.
He co-authored the New York Times bestseller Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths that are Destroying Your Prosperity, as well as Hub Mentality: Shifting from Business Transactions to Community Interaction.
He is a liberal-arts graduate of George Wythe University and a graduate and faculty member of the “non-traditional business school” Wizard Academy.
Stephen resides in Round Rock, Texas with his gorgeous wife Karina, awesome son Alex, and princess daughters Libby, Avery, and Laela.
Subscribe to Stephen’s blog and contact him at stephen [at] leadershipwriter [dot] com.
3 Responses to “What is the proper role of government?”
The best way to help those in need is by individuals making a conscious choice to help the needy. Just as there will always be accidents no matter how much individuals and governments try to “outlaw” them there will always be people in need. Charity cannot be forced; if force is involved then it is as you pointed out “legal plunder”. There are many more benefits to both the giver and receiver of true charity that are not tangible that is taken away from both when governments try to “equalize” by force.
Comment made on July 23rd, 2010 at 9:36 pmIt is interesting to note that when government moves beyond protecting unalienable rights into the realm of protection of civil rights, at this point, the growth and abuses by government begin.
Comment made on July 24th, 2010 at 8:09 pm[...] the U.S. Constitution as a pillar in the structure of ideal society. We speak often of the proper role of government and the dire consequences of it straying outside of those [...]
Comment made on August 15th, 2010 at 7:02 amLeave a Comment