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In my readings in the article "A moral case Against Big Government" somewhere in the middle of the article it comes to the dalema that, you can not have a small government if the people of its nation heavily rely on it as a provider. Such as in our government, healthcare, unemployment, food stamps, etcetera. The article suggests that this big form of providing isn't the most "just" or "compassionate" but why should there be a necessarily compassionate way for a big or small government to provide to the people. Although me thinking this way might not be right, but it seems the most efficient way to provide to the people is through our federal government.

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Out of all the writings that were optional, I found them all hard to understand so I had to read them another time. The one that caught my attention was, “A Moral Case Against big government: How Government Shapes the Character, Vision, and Virtual of citizen”. Although it was certainly lengthy, one portion of the article that spoke to me was the section, The Cultivation of virtue. Although this section talked about faith and religion, it also touches upon the importance of religious institutions in moral formation and how it pertains to our government. Here, the significance of family institutions and religious congregations is vital in the cultivation of virtue and moral sense. While I am not much of a religious person, I do agree that religious congregations do bind people tighter in search of common goals along with other social institutions. Do I Believe it is something to follow? No, I do believe religion does help keep social order. As Messmore states, “According to Sociologist Robert Nisbet, small, purposive communities are thereby able to exact effort, allegiance, and sacrifice from individuals with ‘evocative intensity’”. Messmore also states that, “Government therefore not only fulfills an important aspect of its task of justice, but also indirectly supports the cultivation of virtuous citizens by respecting the authority of local civil society institutions and protecting them from unjust interference”. There should be a separation of church and state, however, I do believe that when the founding fathers set up the staples of government, they considered religion as a vital foundation for law and order in this country.

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I chose to read the lengthy article “Utopianism, Ancient and Modern” by Irving Kristol. One thing that I agree with in the reading is when the author talks about what our society has become, a society that wants and wants and is willing to get into so much debt to get it. Society lives in Utopian world of getting what they want and leaving it until later to pay and when they get into trouble they look to the state to relieve them, such as bankruptcy. This relates to current government because I work for a bankruptcy attorney who helps people get their debt discharged by the government so that they are no longer responsible for it. 

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I chose to read the lengthy article “Utopianism, Ancient and Modern” by Irving Kristol. One thing that I agree with in the reading is when the author talks about what our society has become, a society that wants and wants and is willing to get into so much debt to get it. Society lives in Utopian world of getting what they want and leaving it until later to pay and when they get into trouble they look to the state to relieve them, such as bankruptcy. This relates to current government because I work for a bankruptcy attorney who helps people get their debt discharged by the government so that they are no longer responsible for it. 

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In the article "A Moral Case Against Big Government: How Government Shapes the Character, Vision, and Virtue of Citizens",  Ryan Messmore talks about how in a limited government while they are there to provide support and uphold laws in society, and determine consequences they are not responsible for all roles in society.  A successful community depends on the values and ethics of the community members and them being able to depend on each other and count on one another to do good because it is the right thing to do not because it is required of them.  This really applies to government/society today because of the Corona Virus. A perfect example is some states mandating school closures the communities and school In districts have to comply but what they do that they don’t have to do it provide extra support. However, I have seen that most if not all the school districts that have had school closures are still finding ways to provide students with meals and resources. This is the kind of actions everyone will need to take in order to be a successful community, especially in a time of crisis.

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When America struggled for independence, the founders had a vision for what our government was suppose to look like.  Unfortunately, governments around the world are limiting the freedoms of the people that are suppose to be governed.  Even in America we see this to some extent.  The essay states that the founders gave our government limited powers, but as seen in today's society, they seem to want to give themselves more of it. Congress has the most power of all three branches and seem to be trying to take some power away from the executive branch. The same goes for the natural rights we have as Americans. It was said that we do not get our natural rights from government, yet it seems like they want to control that as well.

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This article was a very interesting read regarding philosophies and ideologies that shape our society. I can agree that there is a sense of "madness" when it comes to the design of a society, and the ideas of what would make it a utopia. That there has to be a certain level of dreaming and designing that doesn't necessarily go beyond what is possible, but what is likely. What I find troubling about these utopian ideas however, is that when it comes down to the practicality of it, and the actual execution, I do believe it becomes hard to bring all the ideas to fruition, and that this is something we are facing in today's society. A lot of politicians make astronomical promises as they are running for office, (Bernie and Medicaid for all, Trump and his giant border wall), and a lot of people hear and see these promises and that's what motivates them to vote for that candidate. However, when these promises fall short, or what actually is created is much less exciting than what was told, people are disheartened, and they begin to lose trust and security. I do believe that we need to strive towards a society that provides for all, that accommodates our basic needs and allows for individual freedoms and liberties. But I also believe that some of the "madness" needs to be replaced with rationality.

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In this article, written by Roger Pilon, he describes equality of people and the governemnts impace on that. Pilon describes that we all have our natural rights, and it is not the power of the government to give those to us, rather it is the other way around. “We do not get our natural rights from government; we are born with those rights; indeed, whatever rights or powers government has are given to it by us.” Basically stating that the government is what it is, and the rights that it gives us, are the ones that we as people instructed it to. I do agree with this article but I also think that the governement is evolving, and we as people are evolving, not only genetically, but idealogically. Back when the Constitution was written, people did not face the problems that we have in these modern times. I do agree that there are certain things that the government should stay away from, but there are also countless things that the government privides people with, and it seems more and more people realize what their rights are, and what they deserve as a right. As time goes on more and more people depend on things, medicare, social security, and as of right now especially, the CDC. It seems like people don't want government to be in their business until they need help.

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The article I chose to read was Utopianism, Ancient and Modern. I was most fascinated with the idea that a utopia type world is something we both need and suffer from. Both literally and philosophically. Comparing these ideas to the Individual striving for the “American Dream”. Humans have always envisioned a personal
Utopia. For many this looked like an Acre in the wild uninhabited lands of the Americas. Today it might look like a penthouse in New York. Or  perhaps an economy that A, B & C.

Irving Kristol discusses many important names in History that have affected perspectives throughout time on what an acceptable Society might look like. Names like Simon, Comte and Fourier. Some of these important influencers would have easily been marked with a “mental-illness” tag in our modern Society. And yet their work is vital to considering the realities of a functioning Society. I disagree that most philosophers are viewed as crazy. Perhaps in their day but I would say that today many humans crave new ideas.

Striving for perfection is as damaging as it is motivating. An individual can easily find a pathway to perceived success by modeling “perfect” maps laid down by other perceived perfect humans. It would seem we find courage and strength in certainty. But as suggested by Kristol, the one thing we often forget to put in the blueprints is failure and how to manage our way through it.

The human race has proven thousands of years of Progression. Thousands of year of improvements toward a Utopian World. We may never reach it as Utopia looks different for everyone. But as we continue to reach for perfection we forget what we have accomplished. We fail to Recognize that the Politics and Economy we live in today is the Utopia someone else dreamed of.

Kristol explained it best in my favorite paragraph, “But just as it is ideas that alienate us from our world, so it is ideas which can make us at home in the world—which can permit us to envision the world as a homely place, where the practice of ordinary virtues in the course of our ordinary lives can indeed fulfill our potential as human beings. In such a world, dreams complement reality instead of being at war with it.”

So the trick, in my opinion, is to expect our best as individuals, ever dreaming of Utopian ways to improve our Societies while also accepting defeat. Knowing we will keep dreaming of tomorrow and try again.

https://www.shutterstock.com/search/utopia

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One word for this article..."wow." There was so many angles covered in this article, I find it hard to focus on just one. It delves into philosophy, religion, politics, etc. I agree that we are all utopians in a way. We all have a vision/ ideal of what we consider to be the perfect society to us. We hold elections to put the weight of our ideals on someone's shoulders and expect them to come through for us. The President/ government are like the parent...and society is like their entitled children (even if justified). I also agree that we put a lot of faith and emphasis in technology to perfect ourselves and the society we live in and that this same technology that we use for perfecting society is potentially the same thing that will destroy it. I agree that bourgeois citizens are becoming an extinct species. Once again, society has become entitled. We want instant gratification (credit cards, layaway, leases, etc)....we want what we want and we want it now, even if that means we are dependent on the banks rather than saving our money to buy outright and living independently. The government & banks have us where they want us. This article was a great read! There are some parts that I had to try and wrap my head around...but nothing I can think of where I outright disagree with the author. This article had a lot of insight. A couple of good points from the article is: Our "familiar institutions are being twisted into an unrecognizable shape"...it's easy to see those changes in politics, religion, military....etc. "It now became common to think that the state could pretty much write the laws of economics to suit itself." Just think about all those convenience fees, overdraft fees, etc...just to name a few....and do I need to mention the financial crisis we experienced in 2008?

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The article that I chose was A Moral Case Against Big Government. I feel that this article was very well written and there were some points in which I agreed with the author but for the most part, I didn’t. One point where I very much disagreed with the author was on his statement that reliance upon government social programs discourages compassion and personal relationships between the wealthy and the poor. Where I disagree with this lies in the fact that I do not believe that, in our current political economic system, that compassion between the wealthy and the poor is even remotely encouraged and I do not believe that any reduction in government programs will change that. I believe that issue in this case falls in the economic systems that permit the capitalization of the labor of the working class and that it is the capitalization and lack of government regulation that forces the reliance on government assistance and encourages a divide between the wealthy and the poor.

Where I did somewhat agree with the author was on the importance of virtue in society. Where I agreed with the author was on his statement regarding family and the desire to do good for its own sake and that in a society where communal good is the goal of the society, government does not have to be the provider. I however disagreed with the author on the importance of religion in virtue. While virtue is a core tenant of many religions, I do not believe that religion is an inherent driving force for virtue and that someone can be virtuous without religion just as they can with it. With all of that said, I do also agree with the author when he says that religious institutions are a good method by which bonds can be formed as is the case with any community that shares common interests or beliefs.

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In Roger Pilon’s, The Purpose and Limits of Government, he talks about the purpose of the governmental institution is to give us its citizens our undeniable rights as people. He gets into the philosophy of whether or not our government should be in charge of securing our rights and how the founders intentionally made our government limited. In the essay, it also goes into how we need to find a balance between giving the government enough power to be able to grant our rights but not too much that they also start infringing upon them as well and not giving out handouts to people. I truly believe that Pilon’s point was entirely correct. I think that in today's society people just want things given to them and turn to the government as a solution. For example, the ongoing debate on whether the government should be the ones who pay for college. People who support this blow my mind, for one there is the cost and second, there are ways to make college free, you can get scholarships or join the military. People don’t want to have to sacrifice 4 years to get college for free, they want the easy way out. Most people who I have talked to who are in college go for “freedom” or “self-discovery” I don’t believe anyone should have to pay for that.

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The article I decided to read was "A Moral Case Against Big Government" by Ryan Messmore. This article was very interesting but I did actually agree with with but there was a few things that I did question. In the article it said, "Local forms of association, especially the family and religious congregations, generate the thick, personal bonds that unite and motivate individuals toward the good for themselves and others." This is one thing in the article that I really did agree with. I feel that being close with government or understanding the government really brings people together. Different people of different races, religion and beliefs allows to build close bonds and relationships.

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After reading this article i did agree with a few aspects. I did agree with the idea that the primary task of the government is administer judgement according to certain standards of justice. I thought this was the best possible way to introduce the governments way of functioning. Another idea i thought was very interesting and very true is that Americans tend to place high value on the goods of freedom, prosperity, and security. I believe the foundation of trust that most Americans have is because they are able to be free and live a life mostly uninterrupted by government. One aspect i do not agree with is that the government can use all their political power to assist those in need. I think they need to rethink their process and really see who is in need and assist those who need it most. I think This relates to our current american politics because of current debates and political candidates spreading their desires and goals. Political figures have a certain ideology that Americans will always follow and look up to.

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I decided to read the article “A Moral Case Against Big Government” by Ryan Messmore. In this article he discusses how the horizontal and vertical ties that bind humans together if leaning too much to one side or the other can cause negative and positive affects in a community. Explaining in depth the influences that each tie has on a community and the differences between them. The horizontal ties are things that bind people with each other (religion). The vertical ties are things that bind people with the government, trusting what the government does to affect them positively.

One thing that I agreed with in this article is that we need to find a balance between the horizontal and vertical ties that bond citizens together so people can achieve freedom and happiness. The goal being, that the government and social institutions that make up nations work together so that people can achieve individual liberty. By having government involvement extend to the point where it doesn’t turn people against each other but not so distant that it creates chaos.

This relates to government because since the beginning of our country the question about the involvement of government has been up for debate. People always questioning the things that our government does, that effects how our community works. The democrats advocate for more government involvement while the republican advocates for less government involvement in our communities. How much involvement that our government has in our community will always be a relevant and controversial issue in our government.

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The article I chose to read was " A Moral Case Against Big Government" By Ryan Messmore. I feel Ryan did a really good job at writing the article. I agree with a lot he had to say but there is some things I did not agree with. I disagree with his religion and the relationship between the government. Everyone should believe in whatever feels right for them. They shouldn't be forced into something they don't feel is right. They did say religous people are better at shaping people to be a better citizen then the government. I could agree with them on that everyone that Ive meet from a church is a lot nicer and willing to help then the government. The government doesn't take time to help people while the churches are always willing to help. I do not think the government and the religion shouldn't be together.

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For the most part I agree with this article. I think that he had a great way of explaining the government in America and the virtues it is built on. The article quotes, "As Americans, we tend to place high value on the goods of freedom, prosperity, and security." We do place high value on all things. The only thing I did not agree with was his use of religion and the relationship between government. I do believe there should be a distinct separation between religion and politics/government. Even though it almost seems impossible. I do not think that religion and believing in God has anything to do with our freedom. I am all for people practicing religion as they please and believing what they want but it should not be forced into government it feels weird to me.

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I would have to agree with a lot of things in this article. The number one section that I believe is true is that it is dangerous to think of the government as a provider. The article says that expensive government social programs can be cause people to see a lot of things as rights that should be guaranteed and that can be detrimental. We see a lot of that today idea today. The idea that government needs to provide Medicare for All, or pay for everyone's student loans (ignoring those who work full time to pay for their school and not take student loans) is very prominent right now. The more we expect government to do everything for us, the more we start to be willing to give away our freedoms.

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I felt this article was written very well. I can’t say I agree with everything in it, but a lot of things I do agree with. For one thing I agree that there is a moral foundation to freedom. What I do not agree with is how the government shouldn’t be in charge of helping the pour. Instead it should leave this job to smaller organizations. This is a big deal right now with the tax cuts purposed for social services. I don’t think the government should be the sole person to assist the pour, but I do believe it should help when possible.

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I read “A Moral Case Against Big Government” by Ryan Messmore. I thought the author did a very thorough job of expressing their beliefs and communicating their ideas clearly. I did, however, disagree with some things, mostly their statements about religion. I believe that everyone should be able to practice any faith they wish, but the author wrote as though God was the answer for everything. They listed how religious groups were better than the government in multiple ways at shaping people into good citizens. While faith can have very positive effects on some people, it’s not the answer for all. Religious environments can have very damaging effects on some people. It can feel controlling and guilt laden, as opposed to how the author talked about that environment teaching people to do good deeds out of the goodness of their heart. People can feel trapped in religion, and it can bring about emotional problems for them. Many horrible acts have been done in the name of religion. Which isn’t to say religion shouldn’t be practiced, just that it is not necessarily better at shaping good citizens.

The article also discussed how the government isn’t best suited to deal with helping those in need and that those duties should instead go to churches or religious groups. This relates to current politics because the Trump Administration has made and proposed many budget cuts to Social Services, thus restricting the government’s involvement.

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The article I read was " A Moral Case Against Big Government" By Ryan Messmore. I think that this article was a good read. I agree with most things said in this article. I do have to disagree with what he said about religion and government. In the article it said, "faith communities can exercise the authority and positive discipline needed to achieve the good. Discipline is pressure that spurs one on toward a goal when he might otherwise not be inclined toward it. Discipline in the hands of a knowledgeable and caring authority is a form of care. Such discipline as care can be exercised hierarchically (e.g., by a pastor or priest) or through egalitarian relationships (e.g., by a small "accountability group" or partner). It can take the form of a word or action behind us pushing us ahead when we would tend to turn aside from the pursuit of the right objects-a loving hand on our backs that compels us forward when distraction, laziness, ignorance, error, or inordinate passions tempt us off course." It makes me nervous that religious groups can have such an impact on people especially kids when horrible things can happen behind close doors. Even when it comes to how they decide take care of their sick. I've seen horrible things happen when religion has such a hold on their communities. I think that the government should not be in total control of that part but I think they should be able to step in and help kids that don't have a voice for their own.

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In Robert Rector’s article, he goes into depth about the America’s poor. How our version of poor doesn’t compare to other countries. We still have our luxuries.
I choose to focus on the child poverty and how to possibly end it or reduce the rate of child poverty. By increasing marriages in families, working patterns, and decreasing immigration. I believe all that is stated in the article has an effect to poverty in America.
I agree that welfare discourages marriages these days. All of the benefits that are given to simmer the finances/ medical issues in families get taken away after getting married or getting a  better paying job. It’s truly confusing how it works.
Rector, R. (2007). How Poor Are America's Poor? Examining the "Plague" of Poverty in America. [online] The Heritage Foundation. Available at: https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/report/how-poor-are-americas-poor-examining-the-plague-poverty-america [Accessed 6 Aug. 2018].