Prompt
Today, Democrats and Republicans are actively discussing the proper role of the government. Debates focus on government involvement in economic, social, and foreign policy areas, with concern about the consequences of the government doing more or less.
Please write an essay that addresses this question:
What is the proper role of the U.S. federal government?
In your essay, be creative and critical. Also, use examples to support your arguments. Your examples could relate to economic, social, and/or foreign policy issues.
Examples of economic issues are government regulation in health care, the mortgage industry, and the financial-services industry, as well as government implementing minimum wage laws, agricultural price support programs, or social welfare programs.
Social issues include whether the government should be able to regulate areas in our private life (e.g., marriage) or infringe on one’s liberties (e.g., religious freedom). A foreign policy issue is whether the U.S. government should be the world’s policeman.
Solution
INTRODUCTION
Every government has a role to play in the country. In the United States of America, the role of the government has been defined. Regarding economics, social, and foreign policy, the role of the government has been justified. However, when it comes to the proper role of the government, it seems controversial sometimes. The immense debate has been initiated in the country regarding the proper role and its impact on all key stakeholders.
First, the role of the government is to protect the individual rights. The protection of the life, property, and liberty is necessary for the country, which also enables the stabilization of the government. Being an effective government, the government of the United States must have to streamline three major aspects. These aspects are police, military, and judiciary. For Instance, relative to the police, the protection of people from predators and local criminals is essential. Also, the government has to make different foreign policies to direct the military to protect people from several foreign threats. Furthermore, the government has to legislate different things to settle different disputes (Levy and McDonald). The contemporary issue regarding the US government is in the limelight. For Instance, the government does not look good and free. In the United States of America, people have a right to criticize different government policies regarding social, economic and foreign policy affairs. Now, the contemporary issue is lack of stakeholder interventions in the policy-making process. The government makes policies without some interventions of stakeholder, which create some contradictions. The role of the government is not only to secure the rights and freedom of people. The government has to make decisions, which are beneficial for society, economy, and foreign policy. The national security has also emerged as a contemporary issue, which has sidelined the individual rights and freedom (Nutting).
ECONOMIC ISSUE EXAMPLE
There are some examples regarding the role of the government. For Instance, the role of the government in the United States is quite visible regarding healthcare regulations. The government is collaborating with different medical institutions or organizations to create the healthy society. The most important thing is the awareness, which the government is intended to create in the society. In the United States, obesity has become the top health issue, and of course, there is a need of some health regulations, which are triggered by people, health organizations, and different food and beverage companies. The government is taking this health issue seriously, and it depicts the role. It seems the economic issue for the government, as obesity is creating the negative impact on the economy; it is reducing the contribution of people to the success of the economy. Thus, the proper role of the government is to contain some strategic considerations in an effective and lucrative manner (Rohter).
Another example regarding the role of the government is the minimum wage law. Based on the current income level and needs of people in the country, the role of the government is to make law, which can regulate both, government and private firms. Interestingly, it is good regarding the economy, as it can increase the participation of people in maximizing the overall production of the country. On the other hand, the government justifies the individual rights through minimum wage law (Stewart).
SOCIAL ISSUE EXAMPLE
The most prominent contemporary issue is the religious freedom. It is a fact that there is a big cultural and religious diversity in the United States. Thus, the proper role of the government is to stop the violence through religious contradictions in the society. This social issue varies in different countries, which also causes some conflicts and violence. However, in the United States, the proper role of the government is to make several laws, which enforces the religious freedom. In the society, people should contain the religious freedom to boost the collaborations and contributions. It looks the positive role of the government, as it leads towards the prosperity and justification of the individual rights (Nutting). Conversely, if the US government imposes restrictions regarding the religious freedom, it seems a negative role (Slaughter).
FOREIGN POLICY EXAMPLE
Some insights have been derived from the foreign policy affairs. As mentioned, the national security is the contemporary issue in the United States, and accordingly, the government has redefined its new role. For Instance, when making theory policy, government depicts its interventions in the national society of many other countries. There is a huge debate in the United States regarding the controversial foreign policy (Rufino). Some people think that America is using its foreign policy to create an influence on the world. On the other hand, some stakeholders think that the government makes the foreign policy to streamline the national society. Thus, it is a big debate, and it looks tough for the government to clarify its role regarding foreign policy. However, making effective foreign policy is a proper role of the government (Rohter).
CONCLUSION
In the end, it is to conclude that different issues have emerged with the passage of the time and it is a perfect time for US government to redefine its role. There is a need to demonstrate a big shift to justify the purpose of the government effectively. Social, economic, and foreign policy issues can be emerged or changed the situation. For justification of the proper role of the government, it is necessary to evolve with time. In result, the difference can be made through a well-defined role of the government.
Work Cited
Levy, Michael, and Forrest McDonald. “Presidency of the United States of America.” Britannica. Britannica, 14 March 2018. Web. 21 March 2018 https://www.britannica.com/topic/presidency-of-the-United-States-of-America.
Nutting, Rex. “The 10 best things government has done for us. Market Watch.” Market Watch, 27 September 2011. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-10-best-things-government-has-done-for-us-2011-09-26. 21 March 2018.
Rohter, Scott. “What is the Proper Role of the Federal Government?” Best Gov. Com. Best Gov. Com, 10 October 2011. Web. 21 March 2018 http://lessgovisthebestgov.com/proper-role-of-federal-government.html..
Rufino, Diane. “What is the Proper Role of Government?” For Love of God and Country.Com. For Love of God and Country.Com, 19 December 2011. Web. 21 March 2018 https://forloveofgodandcountry.com/2011/12/19/what-is-the-proper-role-of-government/.
Slaughter, Anne-Marie. “3 responsibilities every government has towards its citizens.” We Forum.Org. We Forum.Org, 13 February 2017. Web. 21 March 2018 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/02/government-responsibility-to-citizens-anne-marie-slaughter/.
Stewart, Chris. “The role of the federal government.” The Spectrum. The Spectrum, 20 October 2014. Web. 21 March 2018 https://www.thespectrum.com/story/opinion/2014/10/20/role-federal-government/17637533/.