Government's Involvement in Social Issues Essay

The issue as to whether the government should be involved in social issues is one that sparks a perennial debate. There are quite a number of things to consider before settling on either side. First, it would be significant for one to understand the role that the government plays in the society and whether it should be involved in making policies on things that affect the personal lives of people. Another point of consideration is the historical nature of things, and with this, one would compare the nations that had the government involved in their issues against one that has had a controlled government. From an observation of the two, one would then conclude that the government plays a critical role in making socially related decisions, but this needs to be regulated. Suffice it to say, the government should be involved in social matters but up to a certain extent.

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When considering why the government should be involved in social issues, it is essential to refer to the great depression and the possible causes. First, it is significant to understand that when the government is not involved in making policies on social issues, then people might become unruly and operate in any manner that they want. For instance, when the government intervened in the great depression, the policies and laws that were made were effective (Veltrop et al 450). Such moves by the government are one of the ways through which the government fulfils its mandate to the citizens.

Apart from protecting and providing for the citizens, the government also plays a critical role in protecting the vulnerable oppressed in the society. The law cuts across all classes. A legal positivist believes that the law is the law even when is terrible and it had to be made by the government (Veltrop et al 457). When considering why the government should be involved in social issues, then one would take a legal positivist approach. Since the government consists of people who are democratically elected by citizens, then it should be presumed that it makes policies and laws which are best for the society.

The protection of the society is the mandate that the government is charged with. The government, on the other hand, cannot ensure the security and upholding of fundamental human rights if it does not touch on social issues (Veltrop et al 450 -455). Besides, it can be ironical how citizens may want their fundamental human rights to be upheld without the government being involved with their primary social problems.

The government has been lately imposing policies on people without considering what the minority has to say. The healthcare sector has been affected (Haskell). When the government decides to legalize abortion, for instance, it has to understand that other people's opinions also matter and that people might be concerned with such decisions.

Freedom and personal decision are two critical things. On the one hand, one wants to be protected, and on the other, the person wants freedom (Haskell). These two can be balanced. The government can touch on the social issues while addressing fundamental rights but it also has to understand the significance of personal decision and freedom. It makes no sense when people are protected, but they do not have any freedom. When creating policies, the government should understand the significant role that choice plays in people lives.

Conclusion

In sum, it is quite essential for the society to cooperate with the government in making policies. Most importantly, the government should not use its powers to override basic rights and freedoms. As much as the government needs to control the public and bring about social order, then it should also understand that personal and minority voices matter and try to balance between being involved and not being involved in peoples own lives.

Works Cited

Haskell, John. Direct democracy or representative government? Dispelling the populist myth. Routledge, 2018.

Veltrop, Dennis B., et al. "The relationship between tenure and outside director task involvement: A social identity perspective." Journal of Management 44.2 (2018): 445-469.