Government power and individual safety - Essay Example

Semester July 12, Government Power and Individual Safety The government is bound to protect both individual safetyand national safety, but the protection of these goals tend to conflict. For instance, after 9/11, there has been greater emphasis on the protection of national safety and security over individual safety. This essay answers the questions on how much power the government should have, for the purpose of securing individual safety, and what society would be like without a governing authority. It argues that the government should have enough power to secure individual safety, but not to the extent of sacrificing national safety, and that a society without a governing authority will have no social order, and hence, no enjoyment of social liberties. The government should have enough power to secure individual safety, but not to the extent of sacrificing national safety. Individual safety can pertain to having liberties that will assure that the individual will be free to exercise basic human rights, such as freedom of speech and religion, without fear of being physically harmed or impeded by any private individual, organization, or the government itself. Any person should expect a semblance of safety also in his/her home and community. This means that the government will have the power to enforce laws and regulations that prevent people from trespassing in and damaging other people’s private property, for example. The government uses the police to catch criminals violating individual safety. At the same time, there should be a legislative component that tries suspects of these crimes. For example, if someone kills a person, this act gross violates individual safety. The government must then use its police and court system to ensure that the violated right of safety will be promoted and that justice will be served. The promotion of individual safety, however, should not undermine national safety. National safety refers to overall wellbeing of the people or of a large group of people. For instance, it can refer to protecting the life of a city. Terrorism directly impacts and kills numerous of lives and the government has once prioritized the protection of national safety over that of individual safety. Individual safety is important, but when national safety is paramount, the latter can be given emphasis by the government. A society without a governing authority will have no social order, and hence, no enjoyment of social liberties. The government needs power to have the “authority to set and enforce limits on individual freedom to maintain social order” for without social order, individual liberties will be meaningless (Bond and Smith, 2010, 114). Without a governing authority, any person can directly infringe on the personal freedoms of others. Criminals will fear no punishment, since there is no government. Crime rates will soar. People will no longer respect contracts and agreements. There will be no peace and social order. Chaos will reign. It is through a legitimate governing authority that social order will be implemented and individual liberties will have realization. This essay shows that the government should have enough power to secure individual safety, but not to the extent of sacrificing national safety, and that a society without a governing authority will have no social order, and hence, no enjoyment of social liberties. The government should promote individual safety and protect the rights of the individual, but national safety often is more important than individual safety. Finally, a legitimate governing authority provides social order will be implemented, where individual liberties will have realization and protection. Political Ideology: Individual and Social Progress or for Power and Influence over Society Political ideology refers to the set of beliefs of “what the government should do” (Bessette and Pitney, 2011, 252), as well as to the cultural, economic, social, and political beliefs of the majority of society. It means that it consists of both expectations and beliefs about the roles and interrelationships between civil society and the government, as well as between the government and other local and international bodies or institutions. This essay argues that political ideologies are both vehicles for individual and societal progress and instruments of power and influence over society, they act as the organizing framework for the opportunities and boundaries of the authority of the government and this authority sets the influence over the society and its actions and directions. Ideologies are both vehicles for individual and societal progress and instruments of power and influence over society, because they act as the organizing framework for the opportunities and boundaries of the authority of the government. Bessette and Pitney explain the difference between the political ideologies of conservatism and liberalism using the areas of economics, social issues, and international relations. In economics, liberals are concerned of the failures of the private economy in ensuring equitable economic growth, while conservatives are focused on the failures of the government in “public policymaking” (Bessette and Pitney, 2011, 252). As for social issues, conservatives insist on the protection of traditional norms, while liberals favor the promotion of individual choices (Bessette and Pitney, 2011, 252). For international relations, conservatives will emphasize military strength, under the framework of realism, while liberals will espouse diplomacy (Bessette and Pitney, 2011, 253). If the predominant political ideology is conservatism, the government will pursue economic policies that maximize private economic powers and lessen government intervention. A conservative government will also make and implement laws that develop military power, such as building and expanding military bases all over the world, like what the U.S. did during the Cold War and after it (Bessette and Pitney, 2011, 253). Hence, the political ideology of the nation sets the nature and pace of what the government can and should do. It does so with the idea that these actions and laws will promote individual and societal progress. For example, because of military strength, the people will be free to individually focus on their development, and the nation, as a whole, will feel secure. Lower political risks are crucial to national development. Furthermore, ideologies are instruments of power and influence over society, because the civil society provides authority for the government to pursue such actions. In the real world, people will have a predominant political ideology and if they are ruled by democracy, for example, the dominant ideology legitimizes the actions of the government. Communist ideology, on the contrary, is directly an assertion of power and influence over society. It espouses collective interests and equal distribution of capital and resources. A communist government will then prioritize collective goals over private and individual choices and rights. It will use various instruments to influence the development of a communist state, where its ideology and goals can be met. Political ideologies are both vehicles for individual and societal progress and instruments of power and influence over society, they act as the organizing framework for the opportunities and boundaries of the authority of the government and this authority sets the influence over the society and its actions and directions. They serve to define the limits of government authority, with respect to individual and social development. In addition, they address issues of power and influence of the governing authority, which is critical in enforcing the beliefs of the majority. Hence, political ideologies address both issues and needs of progress and power. Works Cited Bessette, Joseph M. and John J. Pitney, Jr. American Government and Politics: Deliberation, Democracy and Citizenship. Ohio: Wadsworth, 2011. Print. Bond, Jon R. and Kevin B. Smith. Promise and Performance of American Democracy. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Print. Read More