• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

From the Government

How Governments Have Made Us Healthier, Wealthier, and Better Educated and Made Our Lives Safer and Fairer

How Governments Have Made Us
Healthier, Wealthier, and Better Educated
and Made Our Lives Safer and Fairer

  • About
  • Archive
  • Contact

Late 1800s

Professional Licenses

April 24, 2021 by Otis Leave a Comment

State governments began licensing doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other professionals in the late 1800s. They did it because colleges were turning out highly trained people who found themselves surrounded by con artists and quacks. The professionals turned to the states for help. In the century and a half since, licensing has raised professional standards and given us some assurance that those we depend on for expert advice are trained and acting in our best interests. For this, we can thank government.

Filed Under: State governments, Urbanism Tagged With: Fairer, Health care, Healthier, Late 1800s, Safer, Wealthier

Cooperative Extension

March 20, 2021 by Otis 2 Comments

In the 20th century a remarkable partnership between the federal government and the states and localities transformed American farming by teaching farmers about new crops, methods, and technologies. Imagine what something like cooperative extension could do in the 21st century for people living in cities and suburbs. Here’s why this government program worked so well in the past, and why it might be a model for our times.

Filed Under: Federal government, Federalism, Local governments, State governments Tagged With: Better educated, Economic development, Education, Higher education, Late 1800s, Wealthier

Weather Forecasts and Storm Warnings

March 13, 2021 by Otis Leave a Comment

The National Weather Service has created a huge infrastructure of radar, satellites, ocean buoys, aircraft sensors, hurricane-hunting airplanes, and volunteer storm spotters to keep us aware of changing weather conditions and warn us of approaching storms. These forecasts and warnings are growing more accurate by the day. So what does the government charge for this life-and-death service? Nothing. Public safety is one reason we have governments.

Filed Under: Federal government Tagged With: Late 1800s, Public safety, Safer, Wealthier

Sidewalks and Trails

January 16, 2021 by Otis 1 Comment

Sidewalks were invented in big cities in the 1800s as a way of separating people from the filth of streets. They found a second use in the 20th century as a way of separating pedestrians from automobiles. After World War II, sidewalks declined in popularity, only to rise again in recent decades along with urban trails. Throughout, governments have been the key to pedestrian access.

Filed Under: Local governments, Urbanism Tagged With: Cities, Externalities, Germ theory, Healthier, Late 1800s, Public health, Public safety, Safer, Transportation

Public Libraries

December 5, 2020 by Otis Leave a Comment

The principles behind public libraries—that they are open to any resident’s use, lend books for free, and be supported by taxes—were considered outlandish to most Americans in the mid-1800s. But an incredible act of philanthropy in 1883 changed how people thought about libraries, and local governments seized the opportunity to build and support these institutions. Today going to the library is twice as popular as attending sporting events. For these places of learning, you can thank both philanthropy and government. But mostly government.

Filed Under: Local governments, Urbanism Tagged With: Better educated, Cities, Collaboration, Education, Late 1800s

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Categories

Tags

1930s 1964-72 Better educated Children Cities Civil War Collaboration Economic development Education Elderly Energy Externalities Fairer Franklin Roosevelt Germ theory Health care Healthier Higher education Home ownership Late 1800s Lyndon Johnson Market failure National defense Parks Public health Public safety Public schools Public works Race to the Bottom Safer Tourism Transportation Wealthier

Recent Posts

  • Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks
  • The Postal Service
  • Consumer Product Safety
  • Workplace Safety
  • Dependable Insurance
  • Food and Drug Safety
  • Professional Licenses
  • Public Television and Radio
  • The Internet
  • Cooperative Extension
  • Weather Forecasts and Storm Warnings
  • The Census
  • Cleaner Air and Cleaner Water
  • Appliance Energy Standards
  • Minimum Wage
  • Unemployment Insurance
  • Human Genome Project
  • Sidewalks and Trails
  • Disaster Relief
  • Americans with Disabilities Act
  • Civil Rights and Voting Rights
  • Farmers Markets
  • Vocational Education
  • Public Libraries
  • Building Codes and Inspections
  • Elevator Inspections
  • National Defense
  • Driver’s Licenses
  • Public Transit
  • Streets and Roads
  • Honest Markets and Sound Banks
  • Rural Electrification and Rural Broadband
  • Interstate Transportation
  • Medicare
  • Social Security
  • Playgrounds and Recreation
  • Public Hospitals
  • Public Schools
  • The Courts
  • Police and Public Safety
  • Fire Safety and Prevention
  • Clean Drinking Water
  • Nuclear Safety and Nuclear Waste Disposal
  • Public Health and Disease Control
  • State and National Parks
  • City Parks
  • Waste Disposal and Public Sanitation
  • State Colleges and Universities
  • 30-Year Mortgage

Copyright © 2023 · Log in