“- Americans have divided opinions when asked to think broadly about the purpose of government. About as many Americans (35%) prefer an activist government that tries in every way to improve the lives of its citizens as prefer a government that provides only the most basic government functions (37%), with the rest placing themselves between these two positions.“
In my point of view, this quote is actually describing the problem we face today in America, as a society; division. After reading this article written by Frank Newport, it has come to my senses that we are still living in a pretty divided socity. When it comes to what government Americans really want, it is never clear as to which one the people prefer. This quote also shows us how the people are divided on the idea of goverment’s purpose. A lot of people feel like the government should just function as a government that provides the basic needs for its citizens, in my point of view that would be Education, Food, Healthcare,Security, etc.... There is another group who feels like the govervenment should be more involve in trying to improve the lives of the citizens by making sure they are doing the right things to better their life. And there is a group that just fall in the middle. This group believes that the government should provide the basic needs for its citizens and at the same time, the government should do everything to improve the lives of the citizens.
I chose this quote because I’ve had multiple experiences with people on all the sides. Throughout my life, I’ve met many different people, and all of them feel different about the government. Many of them also believe that it is the government’s responsibility to do each and everything for them. They believe that the government should take care of their problems and they should do minimal work. I disagree with most of their beliefs but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. The main reason why I chose this quote is because it outlines how great America have always been. How? This quote proves to us that no matter which side you fall on, America is still for you. Yes, it is okay to have different view when it comes to the government, yes, we can all say the government isn’t doing the right thing. But, at the end of the day, we can all talk about it and understand each other. The fact that we can be so divisive when it comes to the function of the government and still be able to have a great, peaceful debate is my main reason to choose this quote. I just wanted to remind everyone that no matter what side you fall on, we all want what’s best for us and the people.
Hey Pierre,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement, I too think that one of the biggest problem that we face in America as a society is division. Different people have different needs, they also have different understanding of the government functionalities. I also think that their lack of knowledge also creates further divisions.