Government, Do We Need It?

We are ruled by the Constitution which allows for three branches of government including any measures necessary to check and balance these branches so that no single branch can take power. These branches are the Legislative, Executive, and the Judicial. The Legislative makes the laws and decides how to spend money, the Executive recommends how to spend the money and executes the laws, the Judicial reviews laws and keeps the other branches in check.

Of the three branches, the executive is by far the largest and most expensive. All three are ruled by party politics and tend to swing from socialism to pure capitalism remaining primarily somewhere left or right of center depending on which party holds the majority and can effectively execute change.

With this very general summary of the federal government, let's look at a list of federal agencies from which you can derive what services you may receive from each.
Doesn't seem to bad

The Congress
Senate House
Architect of the Capitol
United States Botanic Garden
Government Accountability Office
Government Printing Office
Library of Congress
Congressional Budget Office

The President
The Vice President
Executive Office of the President

Department of:

Agriculture
Commerce
Defense
Education
Energy
Health and Human Services
Homeland Security
Housing and Urban Development
Interior
Justice
Labor
State
Transportation
Treasury
Veterans Affairs

Establishments and Corporations:

African Development Foundation
Broadcasting Board of Governors
Central Intelligence Agency
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Corporation for National and Community Service
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Environmental Protection Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Export-Import Bank of the United States
Farm Credit Administration
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Election Commission
Federal Housing Finance Board
Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Maritime Commission
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
Federal Reserve System
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Federal Trade Commission
General Services Administration
Inter-American Foundation
Merit Systems Protection Board
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
National Capital Planning Commission
National Credit Union Administration
National Foundation of the Arts and the Humanities
National Labor Relations Board
National Mediation Board
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
National Science Foundation
National Transportation Safety Board
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Office of Government Ethics
Office of Personnel Management
Office of Special Counsel
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Peace Corps
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Postal Regulatory Commission
National Railroad Retirement Board
Securities and Exchange Commission
Selective Service System
Small Business Administration
Social Security Administration
Tennessee Valley Authority
Trade and Development Agency
US Agency for International Development
US Commission on Civil Rights
US International Trade Commission
US Postal Service

The Supreme Court of the United States
US Court of Appeals
US District Courts
Territorial Courts
US Court of International Trade
US Court of Federal Claims
US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
US Tax Court
US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Federal Judicial Center
US Sentencing Commission

So we pay taxes to the federal government to support all of the offices, agencies, commissions, boards, courts, etc. listed above. We also pay for state programs. Some federal programs are funded partially or fully by the federal government but administered by the states. For example, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federally mandated program that is administered by individual states. States are set up the same way as the federal government at a smaller level with a constitution, three branches of government, and a large executive branch that address more localized issues and reflect the opinions of a state populace. I will give you a list of agencies from my home state, I'm sure your state has similar agencies that perform and administer the same programs.

ADA
Administration
Agriculture and Food
Alcoholic Beverage Control
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Attorney General
Board of Pardons
Capital Budget and Debt Service
Capitol Preservation Board
Career Service Review Board
Commerce
Community and Culture
Corrections
Courts
Elected Officials
Emergency Services and Homeland Security
Energy Office
Environmental Quality
Finance
Financial Institutions
Governor's Office
Governor's Office of Economic Development
Health/Medicaid
Higher Education
Historic Preservation
Human Services
Institutional Trust Lands
Insurance
Labor Commission
Legislative Office
Legislature
Medical Education Council
Motor Vehicle Division
National Guard
Natural Resources
Office of Rehabilitation
Office of Tourism
Public Education
Public Lands Policy
Public Safety
Public Service Commission
Purchasing
Regulatory Law
Retirement Office
Sports Authority
State Archives
State Education Network
State Fair Corporation
State Library
State Research and Development
Tax Commission
Technology Services
Transportation
Treasury
Veterans' Affairs
Workforce Services

Local forms of government include counties, cities, towns, special districts, school districts, authorities, and even home owners associations. Here is where you get down to the laws that effect you more on a personal level. In most cases, you pay for a mayor/president/chairperson, a legislature/council/commission, and all of the associated departments, regulators, and services. The list varies even more here depending on your community. Most have at least these:

Superintendent
Principles
Administrators
Managers
Legislators
Police
Fire/EMS
Building and Permits
Public Works
Finance
Planning
Recreation
Engineering

The larger the city, the more departments and services you fund. Also, each district can become so specialized that they really do only one thing such as mosquito abatement or even forest preservation.

So the question remains, do we need government?

It seems our money goes to pay for a ton of services, employ millions, and it is almost impossible to track where your dollar actually goes. Some services are paid for through taxes - those that affect a general populace. If you require a specific service - these are usually paid for through fees. If you break a law, you pay a fine. These are the basic ways in which government collects. They also invest your money, borrow through bonding for large amounts, and collect tolls.

During my studies working towards a Masters in Public Administration and after many discussions, I have determined that government has only one role and if anything counters this role, the private sector should be relied on to take over the role.

"Government exists to protect those that cannot protect themselves."

That is it - pure and simple. This is my personal conclusion and I have never heard it stated the same. Think about what I'm saying. Government exists to protect those who can't protect themselves.

The most obvious example is defense. Individually, we can't protect ourselves from our foreign enemies, terrorists, criminals, etc. Sorry, I don't have the funds for a aircraft carrier or the know-how to spot a smuggler.

Maybe a little less obvious are commerce deparments. Who do they protect? They protect consumers from burns, choking hazards, or poisoning. You don't have the time, education, or equipment to test every product for safety before you buy it. All regulatory agencies are there to protect you in some way without having to rely on the court system for restitution.

How about libraries - who do they protect? How about public education or higher education? Should we fund these or do you think the private sector could do it?

Remember, competition keeps prices competitive and services top notch. What would it be like if schools had to be run like a business? Would they be higher quality, would they pay their teachers better, would new innovative ways of instructing be discovered more often?

I would love to hear from you. Please comment down below and don't forget to give my article 5 stars. Thank you for reading.