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1 - Introduction

The Historical Necessity of Government

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2024

Sidney A. Shapiro
Affiliation:
Wake Forest University School of Law
Joseph P. Tomain
Affiliation:
University of Cincinnati College of Law
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Summary

The history of government presents six lessons. Government has been crucial to building a nation truer to our nation, but it has taken both government and markets to do this. Government is big and complex in response to changes that were occurring in the economy which sent the country in directions inconsistent with its national values. Fourth, despite its size and complexity, government undertakes the same three essential functions it has undertaken over the history of the country. Government has been necessary to create, sustain, and expand markets, to protect people from economic loss and physical injury, and to maintain a social safety net for people mired in poverty due to age, health, or market conditions not of their doing. Finally, the pathway towards achieving America’s fundamental political values has been littered with mistakes and regrets. What makes us a nation has changed to encompass those who have been excluded and marginalized.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Introduction
  • Sidney A. Shapiro, Wake Forest University School of Law, Joseph P. Tomain, University of Cincinnati College of Law
  • Book: How Government Built America
  • Online publication: 08 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009489386.002
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Save book to Dropbox

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  • Introduction
  • Sidney A. Shapiro, Wake Forest University School of Law, Joseph P. Tomain, University of Cincinnati College of Law
  • Book: How Government Built America
  • Online publication: 08 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009489386.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Sidney A. Shapiro, Wake Forest University School of Law, Joseph P. Tomain, University of Cincinnati College of Law
  • Book: How Government Built America
  • Online publication: 08 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009489386.002
Available formats
×