Government Role Debate

Comments debate the purpose and responsibilities of government, particularly whether it should handle societal issues like infrastructure, housing, health, and regulation that private companies cannot or will not address.

📉 Falling 0.4x Politics & Society
4,498
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#5230
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
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2008
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2009
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2010
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2011
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2012
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2013
270
2014
133
2015
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2016
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2017
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2018
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2020
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Keywords

COVID U.S government job governments governance liability suffering constituents regulation government does trust

Sample Comments

xboxnolifes May 26, 2024 View on HN

No, it's what governments are for.

paulcole Apr 11, 2023 View on HN

I tend to think that's the point of having a government.Edit: While I appreciate the downvotes, can someone tell me why my thinking is wrong?

ivan_gammel Jan 29, 2017 View on HN

It's indeed hard, but it's exactly one of the purposes the government exists for. It's their job which they have to do to justify their existence. You cannot blame any private for-profit organization for not taking the government's job and spending its money for something else.

int_19h May 11, 2025 View on HN

That's what governments are (supposed to be) for.

rayiner Sep 10, 2013 View on HN

It is pretty much the purpose of governments to be able to do things that private companies cannot do.

nulltype Jun 11, 2015 View on HN

Why should the government be doing it?

poly88 Feb 12, 2014 View on HN

It's pretty sad that you and others have been indoctrinated into thinking that only government can provide those things.

watwut Dec 27, 2021 View on HN

Government being involved in issues like this is the point of government.

minikites Aug 18, 2018 View on HN

I agree, this is a core reason we have a government.

anigbrowl May 10, 2009 View on HN

this is a naive viewpoint. government is not necessarily an 'other' which impinges on us; rather, it's an organization to which people can outsource the largest scale tasks, such as infrastructure or military defense. It would be nice if all commercial exchanges were mutually beneficial, but they're not.