What Do We Owe Government—and What Does Government Owe Us?

Americans often talk about government as something that serves the people. We also ask citizens to obey laws, pay taxes, participate in civic life, and sometimes accept limits or sacrifices for the common good. Different people place that balance in very different places.

In this conversation, we’ll explore John F Kennedy's famous quoate: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country."

we'll explore what a healthy relationship between citizens and government looks like. Rather than debating whether government should be “bigger” or “smaller,” we’ll look at what we expect from government, what we believe government can reasonably expect from us, and what experiences have shaped those expectations.

Questions:

1. When you think about the relationship between citizens and government, what do you most want government to provide or protect?

2. What, if anything, do you think citizens owe one another through government?

3. What experiences have most shaped how much you trust—or distrust—government to act on your behalf?

4. When does asking people to contribute to the common good feel reasonable to you? When can it go too far?

5. Where do you feel tension between individual freedom and our responsibilities to one another?

6. What might make the relationship between citizens and government feel more trustworthy or reciprocal?