Trust is important for the success of a wide range of public policies that depend on behavioural responses from the public. For example, public trust leads to greater compliance with regulations and the tax system Trust is necessary to increase the confidence of investors and consumers.
The OECD is advancing the measurement of public trust. Through improved evidence, we want to better understand what policies and governance reforms can governments design and implement for restoring and maintaining public trust.
Back in the mids, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes argued that the purpose of government is to maintain order. That is, without some form of collective action and order, humans would resort to violence as they fight for resources. In order to avoid or control this state of nature, Hobbes said that people engage in a sort of social contract with their rulers.
They agree to give up power to a sovereign and in exchange agree not to be violent. The sovereign accepts this power and in exchange agrees to be just in enforcing laws. Learn more about the history of federalism in the United States.
In the lates, the philosopher John Locke built upon the Hobbesian idea of a social contract between the people and those who rule them. For Hume, the primary purpose of government is to provide public goods, since these are things that require groups of people to create, for the benefit of everyone involved. Learn more about how a congressional bill originates.
One example of a public good is the air that people breathe. Once clean, breathable air exists, no one particular person can be excluded from enjoying it. Hume showed that when people desire public goods, they are faced with a kind of dilemma. Once the public good exists, no one has any incentive to contribute to it as it is non-excludable. When every individual thinks like this, no one contributes anymore, and there is the risk of the elimination of the good itself.
This dilemma forms the basis of collective action theory, a powerful tool that can explain much of what goes on in politics and government today. This is a transcript from the video series Understanding the US Government. Watch it now, Wondrium. So, how can people create public goods that are desirable for the functioning of society when no individual has an incentive to contribute to them?
This dilemma can be answered by looking at some public goods that already exist. Media Inquiries: cce civiced. Website: www. Why Do We Need a Government? Terms to Know natural rights philosopher government absolute power state of nature consent social compact or social contract Problem Solving Identifying Basic Rights Think of a right you believe all people should have.
Defining "Natural Rights" Most people in the American colonies believed that everyone had a right to life, liberty, and property. Protecting Natural Rights Although people agreed on certain natural rights, they worried about how those rights could be protected. Problem Solving It's your turn to think like a philosopher Imagine what life might be like in a state of nature. What might be the advantages and disadvantages of living in a state of nature?
What might happen to people's rights? What might life be like for everyone? Locke believed: The stronger and smarter people might try to take away other people's lives, liberty, or property. Weaker people might band together and take away the rights of the stronger and smarter people. People would be unprotected and insecure. The Social Compact John Locke and other philosophers developed a solution to the problems that exist in a place without government.
Reviewing and Using the Lesson What is the purpose of government according to the natural rights philosophers? Where does government get its right to govern, according to the natural rights philosophers? What is a social compact? Do you think this is the best way to create a government? Why or why not? What beliefs about rights were important to the American colonists? What rights do you think people should have? All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit educational purposes only.
Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies. The development of this text was originally funded and cosponsored by the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution. The US Department of Education disclaims the responsibility for any opinion or conclusions contained herein.
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