In the modern world, governments mainly provide citizens with security. The police and the military are in charge of protecting the country. Some governments also provide food and shelter for citizens in need. Governments pay for these services by taxing imports, goods, and citizens. Some people have started to believe that governments don’t help their well-being. These people have also said that taxing people is theft. Some people have maintained the belief that governments are required to maintain the safety of a country. The idea that society can live without a central presence like a government has been brought forward by thinkers throughout history. In our day, this idea is a talking point among political scientists and philosophers.
The primary function of a government in a society is to limit crime. Crime rates are low when in the presence of a centralized authority such as the police and an impartial judicial system. With no centralized leadership, the country would be run by the mob. When certain groups rule the country, there is no standard to what these groups will do. The government, in this case, helps maintain equality and stability in the country. The people of a country would mainly want equality among all. Philosopher Thomas Hobbes famously said that “Government is necessary, not because man is naturally bad… but because man is by nature more individualistic than social.”
The government also plays a massive role in the economy of a country. The government is in charge of helping companies and citizens exchange goods and services fairly and securely. The government also assists companies in comfortably importing and exporting goods. The central bank helps maintain stability in the economy using monetary policy. In the United States, the 19th century was led by bankers whose interests only regarded themselves. The markets relied on these bankers rather than a central bank to steer them out of these crises. While these bankers did help in getting the country out of these, the absence of central authority led to crises. These events led to the founding of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve helped the economy become much more stable which helped people become wealthier.
In the modern world, having a government or a central authority benefits society in many ways. The government helps preserve peace in society by limiting crime. The government also helps maintain economic stability in a country which contributes to the well-being of a nation. In my opinion, the notion that a country is better off without a government isn’t true.