What Is the Proper Role of Government - Essay Example

In the 19th century, the government had little concern about the economy of the country. The government only ensured that its people had sufficient food and necessities (Zeckhauser and Leebaert 84). However, current governments are concerned with the improvement of the economy. The government takes the responsibility of funding projects that will benefit the citizens and generate income for the nation. Unlike the olden governments, the current government also invests in other nations so that the country has a larger income. The government facilitates international trade that has an economic benefit for the nation. The changes have come as a result of the economic competition between countries and the desire for development.

The government protects the rights of all people regardless of their race or gender. Current governments are focused on gender and race equality and hence the laws that are developed and enforced have a lot of respect for gender and race equality. This has come up as a result of modernization and the evolvement of cultures. The government plays a vital role in enforcing the rights and freedoms of its citizens. The governments of the 19th century favored the natives, but the situation has long changed due to the pressures for equality.

Modern governments are very helpful in preparation for disasters and offer a lot of help when natural disasters hit (Zeckhauser and Leebaert 171). The current governments have implemented programs and set up departments that deal with natural disasters. Through such departments, the government is able to help its people during disasters. The situation was different during the 19th century since technology levels were low, and the government roles were not well defined. Programs such as FEMA have been developed specifically to ply the needs of the citizens during disasters.

The government has made an improvement in its role in the medical and education sectors. In the past, the role of the government was only to build schools and medical facilities. However, the current government goes a step ahead to ensure that people get quality and cheap education and health care. The government subsidizes the cost of education and comes up with policies that lead to the improvement of educational standards. The governed also ensures that both the poor and the rich get equal education opportunities and thus improve their social status. This is different from the situation in the 19th century whereby the government did not have much concern about the quality of education. The government has also subsidized medical fees and ensured the health of all people (Zeckhauser and Leebaert 60). The current government invests a lot in medical research to ensure that its citizens have quality medical care.

The changes in the roles of the government show that the government is more concerned with its citizens. Governments have increased their attention on their people, and this indicates a positive social contract between the citizens and the government. Read More