Agree or disagree to statement Thoreau had made that states"That government is best which governs not at all.

Question

i need to know if i should chose to agree or disagree to statement Thoreau had made that states"That government is best which governs not at all."

Write a letter to the editor either in support of, or in opposition to this statement from the sentence above.

Answer 1

I disagree, but it is a matter of degree.  There is a sort of continuum of systems form least to most governance:

Anarchy

Libertarian

Democracy

Democratic Republic

Socialist

Communist

Dictatorships.

It is pretty easy to argue that forms in the center, away form the extremes are 'best' or better than other forms in the center (either up or down the continuum).  But it is pretty difficult to make the case for anarchy or communism at the extremes.  What Thoreau is advocating is anarchy.

Answer 2

I disagree.  It's a balance between governing too much or not enough.

There are many things in our culture that must be provided by government or they won't be provided at all.  Police and fire protection, for instance, and national defense and education.  Public health (disease and epidemic control), air and water quality, food safety, etc. etc..  And, more and more, it's looking like health care is in this category.  Without government these things won't be done. Without GOOD government, they won't be done well.

It's possible for govt. to become too big and do too much.  And I think most of us agree that this is happening today.  But that doesn't mean that the less govt. the better.

Answer 3

Thoreau believed that ---Government that governs best is the one that governs the least.