A nation should ultimately be responsible for the health welfare and prosperity of its own citizens Write a response discussing your reaction to the stated policy Justify your reasoning for the position you take Explain the potential consequences of impli

The responsibilities of a government has always been an age-old debate. With different people having different perspectives on what a government should be, different types of political ideologies have arisen. Some believe in minimal government interference, arguing that citizens will thrive on a capitalist and democratic society. Others believe that the government should take care of its citizens, espousing socialist democracy ideologies. It is in this author’s opinion that a nation should ultimately be responsible for the health, welfare and prosperity of its people, for various important reasons that will be detailed below.

First and foremost, the government’s job is to govern society. From an economic standpoint, this means that the government is in charge of proposing and enacting different policies to boost a nation’s economy. Since the government has the largest say in economic policy, it should also be responsible for the welfare and prosperity of its own citizens whose lives are affected by these same policies. For example, if the government decides that green energy is the future, they can implement polices that favor the renewable energy sector but burden the gas and oil industry. Since the government now directly impacts citizens who work in the gas and oil industry, they must ensure that their policies don’t negatively affect the people they serve and put them out of a job. Instead, the government should then retrain these workers so that they can face the future and prosper along with the country.

Additionally, a nation should also be responsible for the health and welfare of their citizens. While Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an adequate indicator of a nation’s wealth and economic growth, it doesn’t say much about the happiness and well-being of a country. Nations who strive to boost their GDPs but disregard the well-being of a country might have a unhappy population. Taking a look at the United States, the country has the second highest GDP in the world, but the consumer happiness index is lower than other first world countries due to a lack of social safety nets implemented by the government. In comparison, while Finland’s GDP is lower than that of the United States, their citizens report a high quality of life since their government provides medical insurance and job retraining for anyone who is unemployed. As such, a greater indicator of a nation’s well-being is in the health and welfare of its citizens, something that a government should be responsible for.

Furthermore, a nation that cares and takes responsibility for the prosperity and welfare of their own citizens will benefit from the same citizens in the long run. When a nation cares for their citizens by ensuring they’re happy, healthy and have a fulfilling job, these citizens then in return contribute to the economy and to the society. If a person doesn’t need to worry about basic living conditions, they can then innovate and contribute back to society. In comparison, countries who do not prioritize the welfare and prosperity of their citizens see a high emigration rate, as citizens want to leave in search of a better life. Thus, caring for citizens is a beneficial cycle for a nation. By helping citizens, the citizens will in return help the nation.

Opponents may say that each individual should be reponsible for their own health, welfare and prosperity. Unfortunately, in our current world, the bootstrap mentality might no longer apply. The bootstrap mentality is an ideology that argues anyone can achieve whatever they want if they work hard enough for it — thus “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps.” However, this viewpoint of the world is extremely idealistic, as not all people have the same advantages as others. For example, a wealthy person suffering from an illness can easily afford the highest quality of care, while a poor person with the same condition might worry about hospital bills and thus has no choice but to remain sick. As such, the government should be responsible for the unprivileged citizens under their care and enact policies that ensure the health of its citizens and ensure that they have a viable future.

In conclusion, the government works for us, not vice versa. Their main job should be the health, welfare and prosperity of its own citizens, and thus they should be responsible for it.