Specific to general [Caution: a tad wonkish]

[Torus34]

A social community 'net site I frequent included a new post this morning. It was a post concerned with a poor job done by a handyman. I'll not go into specifics.

The post was a good example of the power, or lack of it, of word of mouth in regulating a marketplace. It tied in with the concept that the marketplace is self-correcting. [Ed.: That concept has been extended to such arenas as stock markets and the 'economy' in general.]

A secular humanist, I look on the marketplace as a part, a function, of human society. I also look at government in the same way, which led to an area for discussion.

At what point does regulation by government of a type of community service -- be it plumbing or stock market brokerage or medical treatment -- become more valuable to a community/society than regulation through word of mouth and informal information-spreading? [Ed.: And please, no comments about the supremacy of a constitution in such matters. A constitution should serve the community, not the reverse. It, along with other facets of a society, are constructs intended to serve, not to become strait jackets.]

Regards, stay safe 'n well 'n remember the Big 5.

 

[Buckeyes85]

A social community 'net site I frequent included a new post this morning. It was a post concerned with a poor job done by a handyman. I'll not go into specifics.

The post was a good example of the power, or lack of it, of word of mouth in regulating a marketplace. It tied in with the concept that the marketplace is self-correcting. [Ed.: That concept has been extended to such arenas as stock markets and the 'economy' in general.]

A secular humanist, I look on the marketplace as a part, a function, of human society. I also look at government in the same way, which led to an area for discussion.

At what point does regulation by government of a type of community service -- be it plumbing or stock market brokerage or medical treatment -- become more valuable to a community/society than regulation through word of mouth and informal information-spreading? [Ed.: And please, no comments about the supremacy of a constitution in such matters. A constitution should serve the community, not the reverse. It, along with other facets of a society, are constructs intended to serve, not to become strait jackets.]

Regards, stay safe 'n well 'n remember the Big 5.

My 2 cents, the government's only involvement is to help regulate/maintain safety standards, and perhaps help protect from fraudulent practices that the average consumer may be unable to detect.

Otherwise, it's all on the individual and the community.

 

[Torus34]

My 2 cents, the government's only involvement is to help regulate/maintain safety standards, and perhaps help protect from fraudulent practices that the average consumer may be unable to detect.

Otherwise, it's all on the individual and the community.

Hi, Buckeyes85!

You've stated purpose(s), but your post does not address the question of striking a balance between the cost of maintaining a specific function of government and its benefit to the community versus the savings of not employing government and relying on word of mouth.

Regards, and thank you for responding.