Government governs the People. Who, or what governs Government? When Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves had dispatched the wicked Caliph of Baghdad and vanquished his oppressive forces, they set about assigning positions in the new government of the city. Placing a hand on the shoulder of the Lovable Rogue, Ali Baba announced: “You my friend, will be the Keeper of the Treasury.” Gasps of horror all round. Then, turning to the group’s most trusted member, he said “And you will be the Keeper – of the Keeper of the Treasury.” Keeping the Keeper. Governing Government. Government governs the People. Who, or what governs Government? In 1215 the clergy, barons and nobles of England rose up against King John, whose rule they perceived as arrogant, expensive and ineffective, compelling him to sign the Magna Carta or Great Charter. While the Magna Carta is revered and respected as being the 'grand-daddy' of constitutions, and while it is studied, analyzed, and to a large degree copied, a fact rarely considered is that the Magna Carta was 'consumer-driven'. The King did not write a constitution in which a few crumbs of monarchial self-discipline graciously thrown to the public were greatly outweighed by his own rights and privileges. It was the barons, nobles and clergy who, as objects of the king’s whims and the taxpayers who funded them, drew up the Great Charter and compelled the King by force of arms to agree to it. Self-discipline is not a natural human characteristic. In the legendary British 50s comedy series following the exploits of St Trinian’s School for Ladies, sex, smoking, drinking and especially gambling aren’t on the official curriculum, but they’re not exactly frowned upon either. In fact understanding the odds on horses teaches the girls plenty about economics. Clearly, St Trinians is in need of discipline. But would this ever be achieved by asking the Sixth Form girls to write and enforce a new School Rule Book? Probably not. And in the same way, we can hardly expect government to discipline itself. Even Constitutions have been, and are, widely ignored by governments. The moral may be that only popular pressure can assure the elusive Citizens’ Liberties. Governments are among the most wasteful, the least productive of any organization yet devised by man, a fact that is now becoming apparent to an increasingly disillusioned public. Government is not only a monopoly, it is unique in being an enforced monopoly, there is no option to reject it, and refusal to pay its taxes will land you in prison. Unknown in government circles is the “P” word – Productivity – the concept of striving continuously to give a better service at less cost, a concept taken for granted throughout the business world. So the burden of government, its size and its cost, steadily increases with no perceptible improvement in its services. The people’s assurance of Good Government can best be secured by total transparency, a prime example being total freedom of the press and all forms of communication media with every encouragement for them to research and publicize all acts of government. Good Government can also be reinforced by the use of independent outside (private sector) agencies for use in checking government accounts, assessing government departmental productivity and the remunerations of government staff, as well as full transparency, honesty and possible corruption. DOWNLOAD THE BOOK 20 pages Regional Development Banks established specifically to provide longterm investment for industry and infrastructure can create jobs and industries NOW, with genuine, repayable investment loans. The absence of a fair and sustainable work-reward relationship creates inflation and monetary instability. Job-evaluated pay is already a reality in major companies. The combination of Pay, Profit and Price Evaluation can guarantee a fair day's pay, rising productivity, full employment, and a stable monetary unit. Maximizing productivity must become a nationwide objective, especially in government as the nation's biggest employer and its least productive. Politics as we know it today consists of two "sides": Red and Blue, Socialism and Conservatism, each trying to secure gains for its own supporters at the expense of the others. The result is confrontation, stalemate and ultimately dysfunctionality, while government takes an ever-increasing share of citizens' hard-earned incomes. Government popularity is at an all-time low, as is confidence that it can solve our current problems of recession, growing environmental degradation, and the dramatic failure of our banking and financial systems. The need is clear for a fundamental re-invention of politics, based not on sectional advantage but on a policy of mutual respect, clearly defined fairness and justice, and maximum liberty for all, administered by a financially disciplined government. DOWNLOAD THE BOOK 15 pages No people should give government power over them, without first setting conditions on the use of that power. Such is the purpose of Constitution. Governments govern people, constitutions govern governments, by establishing procedures, obligations, and perhaps most importantly, limitations on the powers of government. If we are not to drift slowly and surely, ever deeper into debt and dictatorship, the issues of Constitution, its Provisions, its Supreme Status in the process of governance, and the provision for periodic and necessary Amendment must be given urgent and serious consideration. DOWNLOAD THE BOOK 13 pages A One-page Constitution The Ideals of Constitutionalism Disciplining Government Constitution: its Status in Government The Battle of Magna Carta What is Democracy? Productivity and Accountability in Government Governments govern people. Constitutions govern governments. We need more of that! DOWNLOAD THE BOOK: Constitution: History, Theory and Practice You may also like to visit The Art of Good Government arton check our other sites