Fundamental Services provided by Governments - Local, State, National

Old Man Jingles

Rat out of a cage
The demonization of taxation is killing fundamental services.
Local - Schools, Police, Fire Dept
State - Criminal laws,
National - Court for cases between States, Protect the Homeland - Military, Laws that affect US citizens across State Political borders

Those are the only FUNDAMENTAL responsibilities/services that I can come up with.

Any more I missed?
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
Contract enforcement and other civil law enforcement.

As for infrastructure, there's a reason road systems are divvied up between different levels of government. Many cities have trouble affording maintenance on their surface roads as it is, so the counties and states handle county and state roads and highways, overpasses and bridges. I'm not sure if the federal government maintains the interstate highway systems or if they leave it to the states.

More libertarian-minded folks will argue that private companies can handle infrastructure and do it better, but I don't see that happening.
 

MAKAVELI

Well-Known Member
Local - Schools, Police, Fire Dept
State - Criminal laws,
National - Court for cases between States, Protect the Homeland - Military, Laws that affect US citizens across State Political borders

Those are the only FUNDAMENTAL responsibilities/services that I can come up with.

Any more I missed?
Healthcare.
 

zubenelgenubi

I'm a star
Same difference as all those other services listed.

The only one I can see that being the case is for some infrastructure. Everything else is run by government employees and elected/appointed representatives. Even some infrastructure, like dams, are built and maintained by the army corps of engineers.
 

MAKAVELI

Well-Known Member
The only one I can see that being the case is for some infrastructure. Everything else is run by government employees and elected/appointed representatives. Even some infrastructure, like dams, are built and maintained by the army corps of engineers.
Nope. Everyone of those have contractors that aren't government employees.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Yeah ... makes sense ... but what infrastructure?
Local Government - Sewers, roads, ???
States - ???
National - ???

What else?

Roads get put under Local, County,State and Federal. It all depends on how they are constructed. Weight limit classifications are what determines who builds and maintains them. At the Townboard meeting the other night it was brought up that the Township had received their share of tax money from the County ($250,000)-- so now the Township can re-due 2 more miles of asphalt road this summer.
 
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refineryworker05

Well-Known Member
Local - Schools, Police, Fire Dept
State - Criminal laws,
National - Court for cases between States, Protect the Homeland - Military, Laws that affect US citizens across State Political borders

Those are the only FUNDAMENTAL responsibilities/services that I can come up with.

Any more I missed?

The American social contract between the American government was written by Thomas Jefferson the line about inalienable rights life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Basically, as citizens we give up freedom to do whatever we want to be subservient to the laws of our nation.

In exchange, our nation forms a social contract with each citizen to work to benefit us.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are huge concepts that really does entail a government meant to help each citizen in those areas and that's big.

There will be disagreements about what big means in terms of government services, but really I haven't meet any people who actually disagree about what the government should be doing to help Americans.

The real disagreement in American politics is over "who" the government helps.

For millions of Americans, they truly believe that certain segments of the American populace are undeserving of government help, and they see the government helping those people as bad for this nation.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
The American social contract between the American government was written by Thomas Jefferson the line about inalienable rights life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Basically, as citizens we give up freedom to do whatever we want to be subservient to the laws of our nation.

In exchange, our nation forms a social contract with each citizen to work to benefit us.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are huge concepts that really does entail a government meant to help each citizen in those areas and that's big.

There will be disagreements about what big means in terms of government services, but really I haven't meet any people who actually disagree about what the government should be doing to help Americans.

The real disagreement in American politics is over "who" the government helps.

For millions of Americans, they truly believe that certain segments of the American populace are undeserving of government help, and they see the government helping those people as bad for this nation.
Skirting awfully close to that race and racists theme.
 
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