The debate on how much regulation the government should have over other individual's
behavior, is one that has preceded us all. There is much controversy surrounding the topic of how much
involvement the government should have in our daily lives, in health care, and in our country at all.
Ethics is often defined as the formal study of morality, and ethics are considered to be guided by
society’s value system (Burke & Friedman, 2011). According to Merriam-Webster dictionary (2013),
moral is the act or principle of right behavior; while what is right is defined as being in accordance with
what is just, good, or proper.
The law is the system that governs what society’s rules are for ethical human conduct, and that
system is overseen by the government (Burke & Friedman, 2011). When bringing health into the mix,
government is often seen as overstepping their bounds. The general consensus seems to be that people
do not want the government to regulate what they choose to do with their lives or their health care; yet,
many are not opposed to accepting assistance from the government if it has personal benefits. I do
believe there are certain moral warrants the government has the right to overstep bounds in the name
of health. In all reality, health is often not only personal, but rather something that affects society as a
whole. As stated by Teitelbaum and Wilensky (2013), health care is often viewed as something one
should not be able to opt out of. We all access health care at some point in our lives, and when you
cannot afford the health services you receive, it falls on the public to pick up the costs. I believe that the
government has the right in specific situations to implement regulations in regards to health care. For
example, if two parents are negligent and do not feel the need to be healthy and carry that negligence
onto their children, that is an area of concern. I also think that it is important for the government to step
in to aid the people who cannot take care of themselves. To me, the moral warrant is in protecting
others who cannot do so for themselves, and doing what is in the best interest of society as a whole.
In regards to paternalistic government, many of the laws enforced are legitimate. The laws that
enforce wearing your seat belt, wearing a helmet while on a motorcycle, or contributing to a pension
system are in the best interest of the both the individual and society. Public health goes far beyond
interceding on the rights an individual, but is dedicated to protecting the health of all. I do think that
paternalistic government overshadows the rights of the people at times of crises. In many instances, this
is appropriate, such as when people have been required to receive a vaccine in light of an outbreak.
Requiring a vaccination not only protects the individual, but helps to protect the community by aiding in
preventing its spread. However, I do not think that this should be taken advantage of. There need to be
boundaries and the U.S. Constitution does a good job at ensuring that.
I think that the public’s view of the government can be compared to how many view the police.
There are many instances when people do not want intervention from police, for example, getting
pulled over for speeding. Yet if someone is breaking into your house, you are so grateful that there is an
agency that protects the public. The government serves a very valuable purpose in our society. There
are no easy answers, there is no “right” way of conducting the nation, there is no way to please
everyone. On top of that, I do not trust society to govern itself. I am sure that we have all heard or
witnessed individual’s actions that do not abide by society’s values. The role of government is a very
complex and difficult entity to fully understand, and it is always easy to point fingers at the government,
but it serves a very important purpose and I would be fearful of how we would conduct ourselves
without them.
References:
Burke, R. & Friedman, L. (2011). Essentials of management and leadership in public health. Sudbury,
MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
Merriam-Webster. (2013). Moral. Retrieved from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2010). Paternalism. Retrieved from
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paternalism/
Teitelbaum, J. B., & Wilensky, S. E. (2013). Essentials of health policy and law. (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA:
Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.