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10/20/2016
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Good Government
“Find the good and praise it.”
Alex Haley, author of Roots
“The future ain’t what it used to be.”
Yogi Berra, baseball legend and philosopher
Why Does Government Exist?
“We hold these truths to be self‐evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers
from the consent of the governed.”
The Declaration of Independence, 1776 [emphasis added]
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“All political power is vested in and derived from the people; all government of right originates from the
people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.”
North Carolina State Constitution, Article I, Section 2, “Sovereignty of the people”
[emphasis added]
Defining “the Good” What is the Telos of Local Government ?
Has It Changed Over the Years?
“When the Greeks asked what was good or bad, what was ethical or unethical, it was because they were seeking to draw closer to their vision of a good person or a good society. They
called this vision the telos.”
A. Fleming Bell, IIEthics, Conflicts, and Offices:A Guide for Local Officials, 2nd edition, 2009, Chapter 2
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Responsibilities of Public Officials to Citizens,Responsibilities of Citizens to Public Officials:
Who’s the Boss of Whom?
“The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest.”
Thomas Jefferson“A Summary View of the Rights of
British America,” July 1774
“Where you stand depends on where you sit.”Anonymous
What Do You Think Good Government Means?Is It Government that Promotes the Happiness of the
People?
Do You Know It When You See It?
“You can observe a lot just by watching.”Yogi Berra
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Class Exercise
What are some things that public officials do when they are practicing “good government”?
What are some things that public officials do when they are practicing “bad government”?
Please list at least three examples of each. You may refer to any level of government.
Examples from your Discussion
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Other Thoughts about Government
The Proper Role of Taxes‐Raising taxes
v. ‐Letting keep people most of their own money to spend as
they see fit.
Other Thoughts about Government
‐Government actions that take care of citizens’ needs and wants
‐What are those needs and wants? ‐To what extent should the
Local governmentState governmentFederal government Get involved in our lives?
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Other Thoughts about Government
‐Differences of opinion among board membersThe past, the present, the future
‐Promotion of self‐interest (How?)By members of the board
By the staffBy citizens
‐Educating citizens, including the next generationYouth councils and citizen education programs
Good Government is Not Easy:Two Examples, and Some Concluding
Thoughts
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1. Getting the CountryMoving Again during the
Great Depression
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How Roosevelt’s New Deal tried to“Provide Enough” for the People of the
North Carolina Mountains
The Story of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and
Fontana Lake:
Good for the Country, or Good for Local Communities?
“The government came in here when most of the men were off to war in Europe and the Pacific and got the land. . . .getting mail to the front lines of the war wasn’t always a sure thing and so many had no idea that while they were off fighting for their country and to protect their homes, their homes were being taken away. . . .
It was truly a sad time for [the families] and one where they felt they had been cheated. Everyone wanted to help their country and they were told this was the way to do it, [and that the] land that was not used for Fontana Lake would be given back to the families. . . . [I]nstead they turned around [and] gave it to the National Park Service [for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park] without ever consulting us. . . .”
Howard Herron, Pilkey’s Creek, Tennessee, native
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The great baseball philosopher Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else.”
Is that what happened here?
Is withholding information from citizens ever justified? When? How about outright lying?
2. Governing by Fear, or Governingby Trust?
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People Today are Afraid of Many Things
Terrorism
Losing their jobs
Crime
Natural disasters
Epidemics
People who are different from them
Politicians with whom they don’t agree
Government policies with which they don’t agree
How Fear Affects Governing
When should we be afraid?
How do appeals to fear affect us?
Is it ever ethical to appeal to fear in order to win elections or to govern? Is it harmful to the public trust to do so?
Does fear lead to cynicism about government?
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The Danger of Cynicism
“Without optimism on the part of the public servants, the political function cannot be performed. . . .Government
without the leavening of optimistic public officials quickly becomes a cynical game of manipulation, personal
aggrandizement, and parasitic security. . . .” [emphasis added]
Stephen K. Bailey,“Ethics and the Public Service,” 1965
3. Fear and the Great Depression: Learning from the Past, and Looking
Optimistically to the Future
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Thank you so much for letting me be with you today, and to share some of my
thoughts about good government.
Congratulations on your graduation!