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blog: anarchy: consider broad coordination role of govt.

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Colin 2022-05-17 21:18:04 -07:00
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content/blog/2022-05-06-DRAFT-book-review-anarchy-state-and-utopia.md
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@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ justification of a state in its various forms, and he takes the logician's appro
identify a set of axioms, use these axioms to derive
greater structures like contract law, and enforcement (protection and compensation)
and then later to prove other structures (redistribution) are incompatible with these axioms.
by doing this, he outlines the possibilities of a state and concentrates the answer to
"is this complex system just" to "do you, reader, find these axioms just".
by doing this, he outlines the possibilities of a state and reduces the scope of
"is this complex system just" to that of "do you, reader, find these axioms just".
the end result still has some amount of subjectivity, but the process is illuminating
and provides some compelling insights. i'm going to document my current thoughts on this
@ -28,5 +28,31 @@ topic, taken sometimes directly from Nozick's book and other times simply inspir
## Purpose of a state
the State is something most of us are simply born into. we take it foregranted,
but why _does_ it exist? charitable takes first, uncharitable takes later in the article.
a common explanation is that the State accomplishes things which individuals alone cannot,
and that these things are generally good. national defense; providing consistent/uniform expectations around rights;
education; perhaps a social safety net;
maybe even harm-reduction via regulations around safety or medical treatments.
generously: it's a tool by which we overcome large-scale coordination problems.
but *is it* broadly effective at overcoming coordination problems?
the irony is that US presidential approval has [averaged below 50%](https://news.gallup.com/poll/116677/presidential-approval-ratings-gallup-historical-statistics-trends.aspx) for two decades now.
the believe that the federal government will "do what is right" has sat [below 50%](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/05/17/public-trust-in-government-1958-2021/) _for fifty years_.
[since 2006](https://news.gallup.com/poll/244094/majority-say-third-party-needed.aspx) more American's than not believe neither of the big two parties do an adequate job of representing people, and that a third major party is needed.
if US democracy were broadly effective at overcoming coordination problems, then _surely_ it would enable these majority positions to coordinate at the very base level of its operation.
### Notes (TODO: delete)
US popular support for marijuana legalization is sitting at [68%](https://news.gallup.com/poll/356939/support-legal-marijuana-holds-record-high.aspx).
it's been the majority position for a decade now, and it's _defacto_ legal in most regions. but the federal government technically outlaws it -- simultaneously failing
TODO: utlitarian? tool for coordination?.. no, not everyone can agree on its purpose,
so we can't derive it in a top-down (end-goal driven) manner.
TODO: nuclear disarmament, climate change, examples of coordination failure beyond the state