The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

616CLARENCE B. CARSONTHEFOUNDINGOFTHEAMERICANREPUBLIC15The CriticalPeriodAMERICANS established weak govermentsafter they separated fromEngland. Indeed, the governmentswere weakest at the points requiringgreatest strength, namely, inthe conduct of relations with foreignpowers and in the executivebranch. It is easy to understandand sympathize with their reasonsfor establishing weak governments.Government, any government, hasthe potential for tyranny. Its monopolyof the use of force withinits jurisdiction tends to makethose under it impotent in conflictwith it. Men are drawn to it by theopportunity it offers for the exerciseof power, and the likelihoodof the abuse of power is almost ascertain as death and taxes. Whynot, then, guard against these potentialitiesbecoming actualitiesby keeping government weak? Letthe power reside mainly in thepeople, and make those in governmentcome hat in hand frequentlyasking for what they need. Whynot, indeed?Because, in the first place, theattractiveness of a weak governmentto the law abiding is basedlargely on illusion, the illusion thatweak is synonymous with limitedand restrained. It is not; it is synonymouswith impotent, frail,Dr. Carson recently has joined the faculty ofHillsdale College in Michigan as. Chairman ofthe Department of History. He is a noted lecturerand author, his latest book entitledThrottlin4 the Railroads.