Do We Need Government?
Government is a set of rules that constrain people in a variety of ways. Usually, these constraints are meant to help humans achieve some mutually positive collective outcome. But there is a lot of disagreement about what those rules should look like and how to develop the processes that create them. There are many different kinds of governments, from totalitarian regimes to democracies and all sorts of hybrid systems in between.
There are also a wide variety of philosophies about why we need government in the first place. One of the earliest was the argument by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes that, without some form of governance, humans would resort to violence to fight over resources. Another early government theory was the idea developed by John Locke that humans are natural property owners and need a system of laws to protect that right.
All of these different philosophies about government have their advocates and detractors. Some people believe that the role of government should be limited to regulating economic activities, and that all other functions should be left to free markets and voluntary associations. Others see a need for a social safety net, and a role for the government in things such as public education, national defense, and the protection of civil liberties.
Ultimately, the answer to the question of whether or not we need government is going to depend on what sort of society we want to live in. If we place a high value on equality and the destruction of socioeconomic inequalities, then the government will need to raise taxes in order to afford things such as education, public transportation, housing for the poor, and care for the elderly.
Another important consideration is what values we place on the security of our citizens and the preservation of our environment. If we value security, then the government will likely need to spend more on things such as police departments, firefighting services, military defenses, and law courts. If we value liberty, then we will probably want to restrict the extent to which the government can tap our phones and regulate what newspapers can publish.
Finally, there are many other activities that the government might need to fund, ranging from road and infrastructure maintenance to providing schools and healthcare for its citizens. There is a long tradition in the United States and other countries of governments spending money to provide social programs for their citizens. This is often a highly controversial activity, with some critics arguing that it destroys the individual’s sense of responsibility for their own well being, while other people point out that government can be more efficient and effective than private industry in delivering these services.
Ultimately, the purpose of government is to do whatever it can to meet the needs and desires of its citizens. Governments need to collect money in order to do that, and most governments use some combination of taxation and fines to accomplish this.