Government Interference

                Recently, a major topic in the media has been the extent of the role of government in our personal lives. Some believe that government interference infringes on people’s rights while others believe that government interference upholds people’s rights. This topic has stirred up a heated debate in American politics and will definitely have an impact on the 2012 presidential election. The Obama administration supports big government and economic interference while Romney supports small government but with certain limits to personal freedoms. But how would these ideologies, if put into action, affect our lives? Which ideology would be best for America? How much government interference is too much?

When analyzing this topic we must first ask ourselves why we have a government in the first place. In the U.S., our government performs five functions:

                1. Establishing justice:  The government establishes a system of laws that we all agree to adhere to. This creates a foundation on which we can say what is right and wrong and dispense justice accordingly through the judicial branch.

                2. Insuring domestic tranquility: The government has the responsibility of keeping the country safe from potential threats. This is mainly carried out through the police force, National Guard, and Department of Homeland Security.

                3. Providing for the common defense:  The government has the authority to raise an army in order to protect the country from foreign threats.

                4. Promoting the general welfare: The government helps those in need with unemployment benefits, food stamps, etc.

                5. Upholding freedom and liberty: Americans are ensured the specific rights outlined in the constitution.

Theoretically every action the government takes falls under one of these five categories. Every law that is enacted by Congress is purportedly designed to carry out one of these functions. However, certain actions/policies can be perceived as being harmful or contrary to these functions depending on one’s viewpoint. For example, after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 the government stepped up security at the airports and used profiling to single out passengers and do extensive searches on them. Some say that the government was in the right by insuring domestic tranquility while others saw this action as a violation of the government’s function to uphold freedom and liberty.

What we must realize is that no matter what action the government takes, there will always be people in support of that action and people in opposition to that action. Since we can’t make each individual happy, we need to focus on the larger scale. What would benefit the U.S. as a whole?

Let’s look at the marijuana controversy. There is a large grass roots movement calling for the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. Proponents of this idea claim that the crackdown on marijuana is too taxing on our economy, that marijuana has excellent medicinal benefits, that private industry will expand with marijuana-oriented businesses, and that marijuana is not physically harmful. Critics, however, argue that marijuana impairs judgment and the senses, that legalizing marijuana will send a bad message to the youth, and that marijuana can cause long term physical damage. While the opposition to marijuana legalization bring up good points, it’s still debatable whether or not keeping marijuana illegal benefits the U.S. as a whole. Some argue that the government is performing its function to promote the general welfare by keeping marijuana illegal. Others say that even if marijuana is harmful, one would still have a choice to consume the product or not. Furthermore, supporters proclaim that the government should legalize marijuana because it expands freedom, which is the 5^th function of the government.

If we’re trying to benefit the U.S. as whole, then why not legalize marijuana? Why not let people smoke marijuana at their own risk? It will only make the users happy and will not affect those who do not use the drug. What’s the point of limiting freedoms for no apparent reason? In this case the government interference is limiting the rights of the people.

If we look at things logically and analyze the actions of the government in respect to the five functions mentioned above, we can help prevent the government from neglecting to look at the welfare of the U.S. as a whole.