To what extent should the government be responsible for the individual welfare of the people?

Question

for example, what was the role of government in society during the great depression?

Answer 1

The govts have the power to regulate and deregulate, intervene in unethical circumstances to maintain fairness and justice between the powerful enterprises and the powerless citizens.

The govt resolve income inequality by imposing higher taxes to the rich than the poor, by using fiscal policies to finance social programmes;ie state school, free basic medicare, welfare etc..The representatives in higher cabinets should pass laws to benefit the disadvantaged eg; pensioners, students,children,redundant, low-incom families,unemployed etc..

The govts shouldn't tolerate lazy people who refuse to work like the rest of devoted citizens, but want to enjoy welfare that is coming from the hard earned money that other people have paid in taxes!

To answer the 2nd part about the Great Depression, Roosevelt govt created reforms and programs called NEW DEAL to stimulate demands, to provide work and relief to the impoverished, so as to stimulate mass purchasing power . A few examples are;
-regulating the Securities industry (enforcing Securities Act 1933)
-encouraging businesses to work with govts to set price codes.
-the NRA board set labor codes and standards
-encouraging labour unions to fight for reasonable wages or raise
-Forcing down prices and profits for evryone

Answer 2

Well, the greater the government responsibilty for individual welfare the less freedom. I want to be as free as possible so I say no responsiblity.

The general welfare clause in the constitituion doesn't have anything to do with "welfare for individuals". It was exactly the opposite. The government was permitted to spend money only to advance the general welfare, that means spend money on things that can be used by all citizens. If the government spends money to feed a particular person, the rest of the general population is denied access to that government spending and it violates the constitution.

Answer 3

I am w/ Sven & Roadkill. The best thing the government can do for my individual welfare is to stay the hell out of my way. Same thing was true during the Depression. The stupid New Deal didn't fix the depression, the war did. The New Deal just fostered a mentality among too many people that the government (the taxpayers) OWED them a living, food, shelter, whatever. The ever-growing number of social welfare programs that have been created/expanded since then is sickening. At least during the depression, people had a sense of humility if they needed charity. Now, people refer to many of these benefits as "entitlements". As in: "I am entitled to sit on my ablebodied 65 yr old a** & collect social security, medicare + prescription benefits & food stamps because I failed to plan for my own retirement, but I made sure to buy a Cadillac while I was still working". Add to those who feel "entitled" all the characterless girls who breed like rabbits with no thought of a husband or other semblance of familial or financial stability then demand that the rest of us provide their progeny with food, shelter, medical care & education. Now, even MORE people are screaming for the taxpayers to provide them w/ health insurance & the idiots in both parties are ready to go along. We are on a slippery slope to socialism in which NO ONE will even be allowed to fend for themselves! People act like taxpayer funded EVERYTHING is a civil right. (I keep looking for it in the Constitution, but IT ISN'T THERE!) Guess you get my point...the government needs to gets its collective mitts out of my wallet & my life.

Answer 4

ZERO. The government should stay out of the lives of people, prosecute fraud and physical harm, and protect private property rights with a vengeance. If it is illegal for one citizen to steal from another; it should be illegal for government to steal from its citizens. And the "Common Good" is liberty, not welfare.

During the Great Depression, the government did nothing but prolong it by increasing regulations and producing artificial inefficiencies.
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Answer 5

None whatesoever.