Economic Guidelines to Build a Wealthy Nation

...currently a work in progress

The common responsibility principle

For every common event that occurs in the life of an individual, or group of individuals acting in a personal or private consensual manner, the government may not take up any financial responsibility for those activities, nor regulate those activities. For any public (or private) unforeseen or unavoidable emergency, the government may provide any help necessary except money directly to the victims.

The goal of this principle is to delineate the optimal line between what the government provides to citizens and what citizens are responsible for themselves. That is optimal in the following sense: optimal private freedom, optimal public protection, optimal national wealth of its people, and government's limited liability for corporations' or citizens' choices.

Regulating Activities

Let's break that down a bit more. Every common event that occurs in public between individuals and results in unwitting participation that impacts the public directly, may be regulated without the government being financially responsible to fund compliance. This includes things like: Viewing signage, observing commerce, obtaining insurance, obtaining medical care, using transportation, participating in construction, using mechanical device safely, handling or using dangerous chemicals, deposing of waste, and in essence anything that involves interaction between two people who don't know each other or a person and a created element that they must come in contact with in a casual, un-coerced, un-planned experience that impacts their life.

The government can rule on what is a private matter. This means that if someone wants to talk about sex, the government would properly rule that as a private topic, and not allowed in public places. I.e. you can't protest for or against heterosexuality or homosexuality in a public place - because it is a private matter. You want to talk about it? Rent a private location and advertise the event. Advertising an event cannot be illegal as long as the information is reasonable for an average citizen to choose to participate. I.e. you can advertise a topless show, but you can't actually put out a detailed description or images of the show. For this reason, Churches and religion too must keep public events free from coercive discussions. However, religion and church in general is a private place where such topics can be discussed. The line must be that people are free to talk about anything in private, and people are free to discuss topics of any type as long as the individuals experiencing the free speech are free to leave or consent to the speech by staying. A person in a place that they cannot leave such as at work or in a public place such as a subway has the right to ask an official to stop any public protest or speech they cannot reasonably leave. Businesses may properly rule what topics are necessary for their business, but they may not rule on what is inappropriate, that is for the individual to decide. Certainly topics of a sexual nature could be ruled appropriate in a topless review, but not at lunch in a restaurant. In essence, private speech is fully protected; but unavoidable public speech may be regulated. Not withstanding these public speech restrictions, any true statement may be made in publicly available venues. I.e. one does not have to watch the news or go to a particular website. However, publicly available information must be true, and publicly made false or misleading statements must be heavily fined. Opinions may not be restricted, but they may be curtailed in an unavoidable public place. I.e. Evolution and creation are both opinions that are beyond scientific proof, so you can say pretty much anything you want about them as long as you can walk away. I.e. you can teach about the theory, but you cannot compel belief in either case.

Specifically consented to activities that occur on privately owned property are private and thus not open to regulation by the government. However, activities that spill out into and affect the public can be regulated. So if you want to operate an opium den, you'd better make sure that your clients are clean or dead when they leave. Specifically consented to activities that occur in public are not protected by government regulations. If you have been warned that getting a hot cup of coffee may burn if spilled (at any time in your life), then you are responsible for the burns. All the individual has to say is, "here is your hot coffee," and they are off the hook if you take it.

Limit of regulation

No segment of society shall regulate another segment of society. E.g. cities may not use their population density to impose regulations on rural areas outside their boundaries. No governmental boundaries shall be changed to include or exclude a property without the express written consent of the owners of the property.

Liability

Liability is limited to physical damage. You are responsible for assessing your own ability to handle your emotional trauma. If you don't think you can handle it, get insurance or don't participate. Some things are not optional in life. The government may identify them.

Firearms

The government shall in now wise restrict the carrying or concealing of firearms up to and including firearms carried by individuals in domestic law enforcement. Individuals must truthfully acknowledge the presence of firearms on their person or property and must make such firearms available for inspection upon request to a law enforcement official. No official may disarm a citizen without cause. All citizens may be required to take basic firearms training. No non-citizen may carry a firearm in the USA regardless of their position. They may however employ citizens for protection if needed. Foreign officials may be granted the same rights as citizens provided they submit to the same laws while carrying firearms. Citizens may use firearms to defend themselves or others in the absence of law enforcement officials or if requested, in support of law enforcement officials.

The government shall not otherwise regulate activities.

Taxes

For any regulated activity, the government can collect taxes from the regulated activities to enforce the regulations and to support the government infrastructure necessary for such regulations. Taxes from one area cannot be used to cover the shortfall in another area.

The government shall not otherwise tax activities.

The government shall in no wise financially support, nor become a party to any endeavor that may prejudice the government towards any entity public or private. I.e. the government may not engage in any activity other than enforcement. The government may produce plans for and regulate the creation of infrastructure necessary for commerce. Furthermore, the government may provide money to create infrastructure that can be freely used by all, provided that debt from execution of such plans does not exceed the length of the longest publicly elected official (currently 6 years in the US). I.e. the government can build a road and then tax gas to pay for it in six years. No project, regardless of its scope and use, that uses any tax money whatsoever may charge citizens for its use directly or indirectly and its use must be appropriate for all citizens. Again, gas tax goes to support the regulatory enforcement of road rules and creation of roads. You cannot use road tax money to pay for some other area.

No regulation may single out an individual, class of individuals, organization or class of organization for any reason. All regulations to an individual apply to all individual citizens alike. This rules out differentiated tax rates based on any value. If the tax rate is 6%, it applies to the making/spending of millions of dollars or 9 cents (the smallest amount where a 6% tax rounds up to 1 cent).

In essence, taxes are an investment by the people in themselves. Good roads, well regulated banks (insurance companies, construction, ...), security (including enforcement of regulations, military protection and border protection), improvements to citizens lives like regulating and specifying services: phone, electricity, internet etc. and providing reasonably clean air etc.

Personal or Corporate Financial Loss

Individuals and corporations wishing to recover from potentially devastating events should purchase insurance. As a business that impacts the public welfare (i.e. corporations exist in the public domain), the government can regulate it.

Separation of Power

No government entity shall have absolute power. The house can indict the president and the senate can try that indictment. The president can indict a congressmen, and the supreme court can rule on the indictment. congress can indict a supreme court justice, and the senate can rule on the indictment. Only then can a president assign punishment up to and including removal from office.

The common responsibility principle identifies the optimal line of responsibility between individuals and governments.