20/08/2013
Bello Jibril Dukku wrote:
Democracy and Good Governance II: Responsibilities of a Democratic Government.
My last article focused on the responsibilities of a follower in an ideal democratic setting, today I will concentrate on the responsibilities of a government to its people. I know that most people will argue that ours is not an ideal democracy, but I believe that it is We as a people who can decide the kind of democracy that we want, we can compel our leaders to give us the best services available, or we can stay reluctant and let them toy with us, but first we need to know what we require from our leaders in a democratic government.
The government of a democracy is accountable to the people. It must fulfill its end of the social contract. And, in a practical sense, government must be accountable because of the severe consequences that may result from its failure.
The central purpose of government in a democracy is to be the role model for, and protector of, equality and freedom and our associated human rights. Firstly, government leaders are social servants, since through completing their specific responsibilities they serve society and the people, but above and beyond this they must set an ethical standard for the people to emulate. Secondly, the legal system and associated regulation are the basic means to such protection, along with the institutions of the military and the police in keeping law and order intact.
Traditionally, people doesn't require a government. People survived as a species for the bulk of their existence without any government at all. However, since population has now risen dramatically, people do require some government, even if its to increase the efficiency of their social organization. But, as people moved from extended families to tribes and then to nations, they developed from a situation of no government at all to one where the institution became massive, impacting all areas of life. This illustrates a fundamental distinction: government exists to help us protect our rights, but we must satisfy our needs. Protection was traditionally thought of only in physical terms, i.e., of defense against aggressive groups. Nowadays the concept has been expanded, with all the social ills that exist, we require many different forms of protection, including from other groups, or foreign threats, as in defense; from criminals; from other powerful institutions; and from the government itself. While we of course need a means of defense, including against both external and internal (criminal) aggressors, our greatest need for protection is from other institutions and from the abuses of government itself, particularly its collusion with these other institutions. (Many of the needs that we now have for government are actually to solve the problems that it creates.) An additional protective role for government is stewardship over the natural world, to defend other forms of life.
Another general role is the organization of large-scale projects. It is for this benefit that we accept government involvement in the construction of societyâs infrastructure, including roads, schools, hospitals, water, drainages and energy utilities. Giving government charge over these utilities guarantees that they remain in public hands, and solely dedicated to the common good. If such services are privatized, the owners have a selfish motivation, which could negatively affect the quality of the services and the lives of the people.
There's also distinction of rights versus needs. We have rights to equality and freedom, but do we also have rights to food and water and shelter, and such things as health care, education and security? There are great differences of opinion over the role that government should have, and most such differences boil down to this basic question. As government has grown, its role has expanded beyond protection, of our rights, to assistance, with our needs.
Government has an additional role to play through its power to regulate commerce. Government must ensure that the essential prerequisites for a well-functioning economy are in place. These include the rule of law, to guarantee that contracts are honored; minimal corruption; fair compensation and working conditions for employees, so they are encouraged to work efficiently and to provide quality goods and services.
Another important role is in public educational systems, to ensure that all children receive good basic instruction. Establishing a standard, high-quality curriculum, and ensuring that it is extended to everyone, is actually essential. Not only does it enable us, as individuals, to reach our full potential, it is a defense against the social inequality that regularly arises from educational inequality.
Having examined the legitimate roles of government, it is also appropriate to consider what it should not do. And for this, a basic provision is that government should not attempt to protect us from ourselves. We have free will and we must retain the ability to use it as we choose, even if this involves danger. The government should not tell us how to live our lives. It should not treat us as children, by assuming the role of a highly restrictive parent. Also, the government must be extremely sensitive to its innate tendency to resist criticism.
Lastly, other than through providing a vehicle for their resolution, i.e., through courts and a body of law, the government should not participate in the resolution of social disputes. There will always be disagreements in a large, complex society, and to the greatest extent possible they should be resolved in the arena of public opinion. The government should never side with one group over another (other than to counter discrimination). The people must decide, through compromise and if necessary arbitration. But, for some issues people never will agree, or even agree to disagree, and this, although it may be an unsatisfying aspect of life, cannot be changed.
Please note that most parts of this article are works of other experts in the field of the above subject matter, I came across many of them and decided to share it here in this column. As always corrections and criticisms will be highly appreciated.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/160213760716778/permalink/528712923866858/
