EVIDENCE – SPEAK YOUR MIND

María Ruby Ladino C.

1. A political system is optimal not because it produces the policies that you prefer. It
produces the policies that much smarter people prefer.

Democracy is the ideal concept. Socrates, advocated a system of government in which the
voice had the wise, and where the opinions of the minority, not being able to reason efficiently,
should not be taken into account. Is it fair ... or is it a tyranny like any other?. For me,
democracies have proven to be the best and most enduring forms of government. From an
ideological point of view, the people must have the right to govern themselves rather than be
governed by leaders who can follow their own personal ambitions without the threat of being
voted out of office. Protecting the rights of citizens is a dignified goal for any state, and a
constitution can control the power of government, although dictators and others often ignore
the constitution or find ways around it.

2. The ideal system depends on the cultural attributes of the population.

There are many communities of people with the same ethnicity, religion, family history, etc.,
that are deeply divided. Conversely there are many heterogeneous communities made up of
people of varying backgrounds who are nevertheless able to overcome their differences in
order to work toward common objectives. The key issue is whether the community is able to
establish common goals, establish strategies for accomplishing those goals and then work
together to follow the strategy that has been proposed.

3. Individuals should be admitted to schools and hired for jobs based on their ability.

As business becomes more volatile and complex, and the global market for top professionals
gets tighter, I am convinced that organizations and their leaders must transition to what I think
of as a new era of talent spotting–one in which our evaluations of one another are based not
on brawn, brains, experience, or competencies, but on potential.

4. Unlike the private sector, the government is motivated by public interest.

Government decisions are commonly thought to be motivated by noble social concerns like
helping the poor, protecting the environment, improving education, and promoting economic
growth.

5. Taxes allow the government to create jobs and provide welfare programs for people in
need.

Government welfare policy has reflected the belief that the indigent are responsible for their
poverty, leading to the principle that governmental benefits are a privilege and not a right. A
variety of legislative changes might be useful to both provide financial support to states in times
of rising economic need, and to assure that state welfare-to-work programs continue to
function when private sector jobs are not as readily available.

6. Governmental programs encourage people to become dependent and lazy instead of

inspiring them to become hard-working and independent.

Under a culture of dependency, poverty becomes a trap, and recipients get stuck. Long-
term welfare recipients lose work habits and job skills and miss out on the marketplace
contacts that lead to job opportunities. That's a key reason the government should
require welfare recipients to work as much as they can. What could be called "workfare"
thus tends to increase long-term earnings among potential recipients.
All poverty programs should be reviewed to make certain they're helping people instead
of harming them. Social welfare programs should help people up, not hold them down.
We can reduce dependency on government and focus benefits on those who are truly
needy. For example, by including work requirements and promoting marriage (being
raised in a married family significantly reduces a child's chances of being in poverty).