This will be my last post on the principles of good government. We've talked so far about where governments come from and how they relate to the economy. Our last set will cover what a government should do.

"Where government must act, the smallest and most local entity capable of doing the job should do so - as it is closest and most responsive to the people."

This is true of any organization, whether government or corporations. The part of an organization that is closest to a problem will generally have the most information about the problem, and know how best to solve the problem. What we really mean by this is that the boots on the ground need the authority to act without having to ask permission forever on up through the bureaucracy.

"All government policies should favor long-term health of the country over short term gain."

Again, this is just good advice, from the individual on up. However, what's good for me is not necessarily good for the country, and what's good for the country is not necessarily good for me. As an individual, I desire long-term contentment. But when you talk in large aggregates of people, sacrificing a few for the benefit of the greater makes sense. But it really sucks for the sacrificed.

But some sacrifices are necessary. You work hard now so you can relax later. But the idea is that you do get the payoff later. And that it is better than getting it now. What we really mean by this principle is that government shouldn't sacrifice long-term health for short-term gain. Short-term gain is fine, as long as it doesn't cause more damage over the long run.

"Where government policies are necessary, they should not encourage irresponsibility, dependence, vice, or sloth among the people."

A government policy encourages that behavior. A government regulation discourages that behavior. This is basic cause and effect. When you create an incentive for something, you get more of it. When you punish something, you get less of it. Therefore, when government gives money for something, or makes it easier to to, people do that thing more. And when a government taxes something, or regulates it (making it harder to perform), people do that thing less.

The idea here is for government policy to encourage good behavior and discourage bad behavior. This one I know is a biblical principle.

"All government policies must be judged in light of the principles of federalism and the division of powers (checks and balances) as envisioned by our Founders."

This seems rather like a catch-all principle. Federalism is a null word that means different things to different people, including contradictory things. But the writers of this principle meant that local and state governments should have authority over their jurisdictions and the federal government must abide by those decisions. Division of powers means that no one entity in government has absolute power. They can always be overridden by some other part of government.

This is completely backwards from how any other successful organization works. All organizations have a hierarchy with a single point of leadership, whether a general, CEO, or king. That central authority delegates power downwards to captains, managers, or barons, and they carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. But the local authorities are held accountable to the higher authorities, not the other way around, as is the case in federalism. Note that this kind of command hierarchy is compatible with our first principle on today's list.

Likewise, a division of power prevents any one division of government from taking decisive action. They can always be vetoed. This, then, necessitates infighting, alliances, bribery, and other forms of 'you help me and I'll help you' (or its backstabbing opposite) in order for one of these divisions to actually get something done. It is designed as a hindrance, so its a great way to slow things down when you have a dictator oppressing random victim group of the week, but if you actually need to solve a problem, you're out of luck.

As stated earlier, a strong government is needed to accomplish anything, including protecting the people. But it needs to be designed in such a way as to encourage the authority to use its power to help its citizens rather than the authority itself.

Having now chewed through all ten principles, I am certain that neither our current American government nor the government designed by the Founding Fathers matches my new and improved list of principles of good government. Which basically means I think democracy and republicanism are a wash. They might work if the people in them are virtuous, but there are some serious design flaws that can be (and have been) exploited by the unscrupulous or the unwary.