Government Programs
Our government was created to provide an environment of freedom and to deliver certain services, such as national defense, a judicial system, and a representative system to administer the government for the good of all… things that we cannot do alone as private citizens. Our Constitution defines the role of the federal government, state governments step in with further duties more locally-based, and all other responsibilities fall to us individually.
One of the key ideas of this nation’s founders was that, by limiting the scope and power of government, the people would have greater freedom. And that, indeed, has been demonstrated to be the case. In America, that freedom has meant more opportunity, and that open environment unleashed a powerful entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic that accelerated the growth and prosperity of our country. In fact, our nation became so vibrant we were an economic magnet that stimulated activity throughout the world… a condition that continues to this day.
I believe that individualism and a self-sufficient, success-oriented attitude are driving forces that propels people toward success… and I think these traits, to one degree or another, are in all of us. If government will for the most part “get out of the way”, let us do what makes us happy, and allow us enjoy the fruits of our labor, we will work hard and achieve much. As a byproduct of that effort, we will also contribute more to the greater good of all (in addition to the benefits we individually receive).
I further believe that, when government starts to tamper with this formula, the results that were desired are more often than not less than expected AND frequently unintended consequences more than offset any gain achieved in the targeted area. This implies that a smaller, less intrusive government is better.
When the government gets involved in economic or social aspects of our lives, we give up some portion of our property and our freedom. I am absolutely willing to pay a fair amount of tax, though, to fund the government. Our national defense, local police, judicial system, streets and highways all cost money.
But, when we give the government the power to tax us and elect politicians to control the government, we mix ingredients that can be quite volatile. If taxes can be collected, you can count on them being spent. If government programs can be created to justify more taxes, you can count on more government programs. If politicians can “sell” government programs to their constituents, they gain more power. It can easily get out of control! And I think it has. Note, too, that both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of this… it has become an accepted practice. It needs to stop.
Since this is a very complex topic with far too many aspects to address in a short discussion, let’s just talk about one component: government programs.
I’ll use the phrase “government programs” only to distinguish it from some other responsibilities of government, such as funding our armed forces or police departments. Not that there isn’t room for improvement in those areas, but I’m really talking about discretionary programs and, more specifically, ones that are not directly sanctioned in our Constitution. Some “optional” programs may serve a good purpose and, in fact, their cost well justified… but I will argue that many, if not most, do as much harm as good… and some do little good and much harm.
While they come in many shapes and sizes… and are packaged in a wide variety of ways… most government programs can be classified as social, economic, or both.
While some economic programs may have been justified when created, the need has passed… but, as we all know, even a program labeled as “temporary” by the government almost never is. These programs range from subsidy payments for growing certain crops to tax breaks for certain industries and everything in between. Many economic programs are actually nothing more than “pork”, and I resent such programs for many reasons:
- It is not good to manipulate the natural balance between supply and demand
- The recipients begin to unrealistically rely on the income
- Politicians use the pork they bring to their constituents as leverage to “buy” their votes
- Taxes are too high and spending must be reduced
- Government shouldn’t be spending in these areas anyway since it’s not their charter
Much the same can be said about social programs… but I have an even deeper objection to these types of programs. In addition to the above points, I believe most social programs create an attitude of dependency in the minds of recipients… or worse, an attitude of deservedness. This situation undermines the very spirit of individualism within our citizens that makes our country exceptional.
Please don’t misunderstand… I recognize that there are some cases where some people are truly in need and are forced, due to their circumstances, to rely on outside help. Those people should be helped, but I believe such assistance is much better provided (and monitored) locally and directly by charitable organizations and not the government. Rather than a check in the mail from a faceless government, the assistance will be more compassionate and the community will be involved.
However, I am highly skeptical that all the recipients of support from government programs are truly needy. I would argue that many are just “gaming” the system… because it is there and because they can. Many of these programs have come to be called “entitlement” programs… which I think better describes the attitude many recipients have… they view the benefits as something owed to them by the government. That, in a nutshell, is bad thinking. The government was never intended to provide any such benefits to the people.
As social program gained favor (hey, it’s hard to turn down a “free lunch”), politicians found an easy tool to garner support. They “buy” votes with the tax dollars of others. And the recipients (of all races and backgrounds, I should add), are apparently happy to “economically enslave” themselves. This is a shameful situation and, aside from the dollars involved, should be eliminated primarily because it sets up some people for failure, trapping them in a continual, generational dependent class. This is not good for those people nor good for the country.
How much would spending be reduced… and taxes lowered.. if government only did what it is supposed to be doing? As the late Senator Everett Dirksen once said about government spending: “A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money!” And, without even addressing the argument about whether the government should be involved in one particular program or another, there are plenty of sources where you can learn about outright waste and inefficiency in government, but you might start here: Citizens Against Government Waste
I believe government should be doing what it is mandated to do in the Constitution and little more.
There can be no hope for change so long as we continue to willingly pay taxes and support those politicians who support unnecessary government programs. But, if we object loudly to paying the higher taxes and hold politicians accountable for their actions, the status quo can be changed. As citizens, we cannot simply trust others to do the right thing, we must constantly look over their shoulder.
As citizens of this great country, it is our responsibility to monitor the government as well as our duty to reward good political behavior and punish bad political behavior every time we see it.
