Dear FC,
There are many ways in which the government affects our lives. Not
only mine, but also yours.
I'll give you several examples, from which you could choose:
- Taxation: is a serious issue and one of the central functioning of
any government. It affects my life, because I am paying taxes now, and
will pay them in the future, like any working citizen.
Taxation is channelled to different needs of the population, as the
government sees it. Here are only few that affect our lives:
- Health: In my country, there is subsidised health insurance by the
government. That means that when I am sick or disabled, I don't have
to pay beyond my ability to finance my treatment. This policy is not
similar in all countries. In the United States, for example, there is
limited governmental assistance in the realm of health coverage
("Medicaid"), and many people are either not covered at all, or not
covered for many ailments. This is an example - in the United States
compared with other regimes - of government policies that might
adversely affect a citizen's health. So here is a negative point and a
positive point - all depends on your view on the role of government.
- Defence: All governments but one (Costa Rica) have armies, and all
countries have police forces. Actually, sociologist Max Weber (You
could read more about him at Verstehen: Max Weber's Homepage
<http://www.faculty.rsu.edu/~felwell/Theorists/Weber/Whome.htm>) once
claimed that one of the features of a sovereign country, is its
monopoly on the use of force. What does it mean, practically, when it
comes to my life? Police is supposed to defend me against
law-breakers. Government policies and laws decide what a law breaker
is and how much force will be granted to the police to do its job. In
my country, men must enlist to the army (or perform community
service). That affects, of course, their freedom to do what they want
for a while. Defence could be also over-done - when too much
discretion is given to security forces, regardless of democracy. In a
democratic regime, for example, you (hopefully) don't get tortured or
murdered by the regime, because it is against its government and
regime policies. This is a negative aspect.
- Education: Education is also mandated by the government. The meaning
of that for our lives is the influence it has on the way we think and
act - influenced by the contents of our educational plans. Less
funding for education or different educational policies could mean
that some people cannot afford certain level of education, whether it
is because of disability or because of financial inability.
- Transportation: The government builds roads and maintains them, and
cares for other aspects of transportation. In my town, local
government helps to finance public transportation. That means that
many use the public transportation, and need not to spend much on
cars. There are also fewer accidents (which reduces the chance of
death!)
- Environment: The government policies affect the environment. If
there is a policy not to allow the usage of some pollutants, there is
a better chance for us not to get sick or die unduly. This is already
the 6th aspect, but there are many more: immigration, welfare,
justice, labour, technology and development, etc.).
To sum up, it is hard to tell if my (or anyone else's) life is
"better" or "worse" due to the governmental interventions. In some
aspects it is better, in others not - this is really a matter of
opinion. Some parties (for example, the Libertarians in the US),
advocate a minimal government as possible, claiming that everything
could be done by independent forces. Some say, that if we let
independent forces take care of things, many unpleasant things - such
as caring for the weak - might be neglected.
I hope this answered your question. I searched the web for terms such
as: government, affected and life. Here are several further sources,
to give you ideas how to deal with the subject:
"Seniors' Quality of Life Affected", by Megan Easton September 19,
2000 <www.usask.ca/lists/hplink/2000/msg00160.html> "Toronto seniors
believe their quality of life is negatively affected by policies at
all levels of government"
National and European Government How is My Life Affected?
<http://www.teachcitizenship.co.uk/pdfs/AQAb.pdf> - an explanation for
students on how the government affects the lives of the citizens in
the UK and Europe.
"What areas of public life are affected by anti-discrimination law??
http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/adb.nsf/pages/cwareas - The government
of New South Wales in Australia explains how a new policy, a law,
affects the citizen.
"How the government shutdown has affected readers"
http://www.usatoday.com/news/index/budget/nbud062.htm - USA Today's
readers write about their experiences after some serious cuts to the
budget.
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