Ask what your government can do for you...

I would say it’s almost impossible to discuss politics without discussing the state. From differing opinions, to the distribution of resources, to the way people work together, the state is the centerpiece for political action — the arena where ideas and reality clash.

As the operating arm for the great tool that is politics, the state makes society. The definition of what the state is, what it can do and what it should do all frames the rest of its community, including the lives of all its citizens.

Historically, philosophers of all kinds have sought to define the state; these definitions are temporal reflections of their societies, culture and times. With a rapidly changing world and people, the definition of the state and what it should do must evolve.

I feel too often today people use historical definitions of the state to make a political point such as, “The role of government isn’t to provide health care.” But these arguments use an outdated definition of the state. There needs to be a new definition of the state that works within the bounds of globalization, new international influences and new societal norms.

I still think the classical ideas of the nation-state are relevant. The state needs to provide for security. We need protection so that we aren’t randomly attacked by a foreign power. But though before this was the main duty of the larger state, I believe with a much more porous and interconnected world, the use of standing armies has been used more often to oppress the nation’s own citizens than to protect from foreign invasion.

While defense is still a prime duty of the state, it’s not its principle obligation any longer. Furthermore, the other classical idea that is very relevant is that the state must also ensure the individual is protected from the state itself. Freedom and liberty from state oppression remain important.

Beyond these classical ideas, I believe that the global society that has begun to form requires that the state enrich the individual citizens in order to adequately protect them. With human rights and international norms, we know that each individual has basic rights and needs that have to be satisfied so that they can pursue life, liberty and happiness. With the means to provide for those needs now, there must be a social net provided to all people that provides for the basic wellbeing of the state’s citizens. This means there must be access to education, health care and welfare services so that no individual is ever powerless and unable to adequately live their life.

Furthermore, the state needs to limit the power of corporations inside its borders to eliminate the undue control they have over individuals in such areas as the environment, economics or even the political process.

Larger organizations, whether they are states or corporations, always have greater access to resources and power than individuals. These giants must be carefully controlled, so they do not trample individuals but instead assist them.

I also believe the state has a duty to foster free competition to allow individuals to pursue their own constructive goals and greater ideas of innovation. The state needs to allow free competition above this social net and below the corporate ceiling. It does so by promoting competition between corporations, providing access to capital and ensuring the freewheeling system doesn’t overconsume itself. This dichotomy of capitalism and socialism balances the many forces that are now currently at play in modern society.

Finally, by enriching its own individuals, the state also needs to try and improve the lives of individuals outside its boundaries.

It needs to speak out against atrocities and use force with international consensus when the welfare of individuals is directly under constant threat from the state. In this way, states work within the porous boundaries of the new globalized society to further protect and assist the individual. This role will continue to evolve as the nation-state fades and the globalized world emerges.

Changing times means changing perspectives. The nation-state idea in which rulers governed separate realms of people is no longer valid. The leaders and opportunities available to all people have drastically changed. Changes in international norms will seek to affirm the individual in their place in society.


­— mdshowal@indiana.edu