Explain how different philosophies and structures of the different types of government influence economic policies, social welfare policies, and human rights practices.

Question

This is for my government class :)

Answer 1

Hi there Tiana. Let's choose just one type of government and explore the details of your question. For the sake of clarity, let's consider the government of the United States: what is it? Well, first and foremost it is a democracy, meaning that the people govern themselves; however, it is a representative democracy, so most of the decisions that citizens are called upon to make concern choosing an officeholder to act on their behalf. Furthermore, this is a federal system, meaning it features a central government (federal) along with smaller, more local governments (state, county, city, etc). On the government side, the U.S. (like most developed countries) utilizes a mixed-market approach; that is, the U.S. economic policies feature both market and command approaches. For instance, you are free to choose which job to pursue without interference from the government, but the government may regulate the conditions of your job or the institution where you deposit your paycheck, etc. These economic policies reflect the government system because they demonstrate compromise. For your first task, you should consider some specific economic policies and evaluate how they operate in the U.S. For instance, the social safety nets in the U.S. (things like welfare, food stamps, etc) tend to offer less assistance than do our European counterparts. Consider the competing values at play and how those values reflect on the people of the different places. This also somewhat covers social welfare practices generally, which is logical since these tend to represent a cost to the government whereas economic policies can generate revenue. Thus, economic policy will necessarily have an impact on social welfare practices. Finally, human rights practices are being highlighted at this very moment in the U.S. thanks to the Texas Senate Bill 8, which strips the citizens of Texas of the judicial protections established by Roe v. Wade (i.e. abortion). This is where your analysis again becomes of paramount importance -- which is the larger human rights violation: performing an abortion or forcing a woman to give birth regardless of any other considerations (such as whether the birth will kill her). Again, you can compare your answer to cultures around the globe. If you find that any of the U.S.'s ideological peers are unsavory, then you may wish to consider the value systems that underlie those viewpoints with a deeper analysis.

One last note: notice in the structure of my response that I have directly addressed the question, supported my answer, and then provided a relevant example where appropriate. If you follow this structure, you should have no difficulty addressing the other structures of government and their philosophies. I hope this helps! If you still need additional assistance, please reach out to schedule a tutorial.