The Role of Government

What is the role of government in a society?  One of the basic roles is to protect the security of  the people.  Ensure the community or if widespread, the nation, is secure.  This impacts the government's policies as they relate to those outside the border of the nation or community.  We share the world, and cannot impose policies on others not under our government rule.

Governments must also provide or oversee the provision of basic services such as food, water, transportation systems and emergency services being provided to its citizens.  Governments must ensure the environment is protected.  We must take care of the natural resources that we have been made care takers of.  In protecting the environment government ensures that free services to enjoy the environment (parks) exist.  Governments should assist in developing systems allowing for self improvement of people at their own pace.  One example of this is ensuring an effective and cost neutral education system exists for the population to use.  Governments must also support the growth of humanity beyond boundaries and labels that we as human sometimes assign to each other or to groups within a society.  Our eventual growth to reach our full potential depends on human beings not being limited to being boxed into a set of behaviors and acceptable practices.

Why is government at times criticized?  Most times it is when government either doesn't do enough to provide basic services, or does too much and starts to force value based decisions onto the mass population. Then people feel as if their right to decide has been taken away from them.  Conflict arises and partisan politics begins.  It is the role of government to walk that neutral line that respects the fact that we have differences, but to understand that there are basic items that we agree with in terms of providing those basic needs in life that allow us all the opportunity to prosper as we so desire.