Abstract
Government is a purpose driven institution. People form the state to promote cooperation on matters of common concern and regulate conflict which is inimical to peace and order. The state exists to provide for public goods, mitigate negative externalities, organize cooperative activities and limit conflict. Without the state society would be marked with chaos. The market system cannot perform a modern state’s functions. For democratic/republican systems of government to work, compromise, civility and rational deliberation are necessary. Core democratic values include citizen participation, equality and equity, tolerance, civility, rational, fact-based deliberation, and respect for human rights. The United States’ Constitution’s Preamble articulates an eloquent list of the fundamental duties of government that revolve around achieving justice, promoting the common good and achieving unity and tranquility. The operation of government just like the playing of a game demands adherence to the rules of the game. Institutions are bodies of rules about how things should be done and depend on rules. Institutions enable us to act together to achieve the purposes of government. Political institutions are the mechanisms of accomplishing political purposes. An institution’s rules grow from the values underlying the institution. For an institution to function, the players, in our case, citizens and their elected representatives, have to agree on the importance of the institution and on adherence to the rules and values underlying the institutions. Players may seek different outcomes but all must adhere to the rules. This paper examines what leads to the breakdown from within political institutions.
Presenters
John RayProfessor, Liberal Studies/Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Montana Technological University, Montana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Technical, Political, and Social Responses
KEYWORDS
DEMOCRACY, INSTITUTIONS, DECLINE, RULES
