ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

Ethical Issues In The Role Of Government

Ethical Issues In The Role Of Government

Thesis statement

Government agencies need to pay attention, take responsibility for the people they serve and start filling the gap between multimillionaires and the poor.

Introduction

The ethical concept applies with members of society as well. Multimillion dollar, suit-wearing businessmen walk to work and pass homeless people on the street and minimum wage janitors in the lobbies of their huge businesses. Like a lot of others, they think the homeless problem is being taken care of by someone else, they're worried about getting to work and getting their own job done. Because even the little guy in the lobby has his job, society is not perfect, but it is running smoothly. But the gap between the rich and the poor is large. Given the widespread poverty in a very prosperous country, is the US economic system fair? Why or why not? The United States is a capitalist society. One of the advantages of this kind of society is that there is no limit to how much someone can 'better' themselves.

On the other hand, the major disadvantage of a capitalist society is that poverty exists. The US capitalist economic system is fair to a certain extent. It gives an equal opportunity to everyone in society to become successful; whether you are born into a wealthy family or a low class one, there is always the open opportunity to flourish. Despite such a fair opportunity for success, there comes a point when the economic system is not so fair. With equal opportunity comes a wide spectrum of success stories. On one end of the spectrum is the multibillionaire entrepreneur. On the other end is the poor mother of one child receiving assistance from the government. To have one, society has to have the other to balance. A capitalist society just would not work with all members being millionaires.

For the economic system to be totally fair, the range of success would need to be shortened. In effect, the government would have to intervene before members of society reached multimillionaire status. The ethical issue of progressivity would be in question; as the rich become richer, their wealth should be taken to distribute amongst the poor. Yet, government intervention would become unfair to those becoming multimillionaires, for they would no longer have the opportunity to become as successful as they can without what they've earned being taken away from them.

With the United States' capitalist system, it will never be totally fair for everyone. There will either be fairness for one side of the spectrum, or fairness for the other. With a part of the population being very wealthy, there is bound to be a poor part of society. And if the range of wealth were cut down, the equal opportunity aspect, which is such an important, part of our society would be lost. There is just no way to keep everyone ...