|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
The Honesty of Government
A republican democracy is a governmental institution designed to represent its citizens through elected officials. ... In Jefferson’s A summary View of the Rights of British America, he states “The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest” (Jefferson 288). ... Merit begins with honesty, an honesty that allows the governing to instill in their constituents a faith in their government. Jefferson stipulated, and history has substantiated, honesty in difficult times leads to recovery and dishonesty at any time leads to corruption and turmoil. ... If citizens have no faith in their government they will unite, however their foe will be their government. Governmental institutions must begin and at all times remain honest to their citizens if the integrity of those institutions are to remain intact and government is to function for the best interests of the governed.
The art of government is defined by Jefferson in a letter he wrote to Thomas Paine as an establishment that “. ... The purpose, or art of government, is to protect the rights of its citizens, and dishonest governmental actions make this impossible. ... The sole “end” of government being the preservation of its citizens rights, the only situation requiring citizen deception by the government is a situation where those rights are being threatened or violated. Honesty is the means for government to reach it’s ends. The “art of government,” or the defense of human rights, must be strictly adhered to by both legislators and citizens in a successful republic.
The art of honesty is described by Jefferson as a government showing its citizens “. ... It is self evident that a government cannot divulge all information concerning national issues to the public, and no citizen could possibly digest or understand it all.
Approximate Word count = 1437
Approximate Pages = 5.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|