1
Wellbeing & Human Development
Name
Institution
Date
2
Wellbeing & Human Development
Global governance should ensure a better life for human beings, by promoting better
access to basic human needs, including food, water, healthcare, education, and freedom from
political violence.
I believe that the tangible measures established to promote wellbeing and development
are legitimate in legal-political and medical terms. Taxes are the primary source of revenue for
most governments, which are used to promote the wellbeing of individuals within a state or a
country. Therefore, it is a political obligation for the state government to tax citizens to fund
various projects, including public infrastructure, public services, emergency services and welfare
programs. Citizens are morally obliged to pay taxes due to the virtue of commutative justice
(Koslowski, 2001). The theory was initially based on a pact between individuals and the state,
stating that a price has to be paid by citizens for services rendered to them by the state.
In addition, congress uses power granted by the constitution and the 16th amendment,
where citizens are expected to respect the Internal Revenue Code that expects them to pay taxes
(Jensen, 2001). Citizens should understand that they have an obligation to fulfil their duties
towards the state, and the primary way is by paying taxes.
From the Easterly-Barder Video debate, critics of development assistance say that they
limit the level of state commitment to these projects because of an inherent power dynamic and
foreign powers (CGD, 2022). Providing aid comes with the risk of doing harm, but the critics
stand by the idea that the benefits outweigh the risks. Despite the stand that these limits are a
lack of respect for liberty, the critics insist that there is a commendable effort to fund the projects.
I believe that religion informs social changes and the development of a nation necessary
for people. The church community is responsible for encouraging deeper, broader values,
3
especially involving respect for human rights (Agbiji & Swart, 2015). Religion has a vital role in
liberating African society from corruption and poverty. In the same way, the church is obliged to
make people understand their moral standing when it comes to their responsibility to the
government, like paying taxes. In the same way, in Romans 13, the Bible says that every
individual is subject to the governing authorities which God has instituted.
Despite an apparent failure in global governance and the promotion of individuals’
wellbeing, the concerned parties are doing what is necessary to ensure better access to human
needs.
References
4
Agbiji, O. M., & Swart, I. (2015). Religion and social transformation in Africa: A critical and
appreciative perspective. Scriptura: Journal for Contextual Hermeneutics in Southern
Africa, 114(1), 1-20.
CGD. (2022). William Easterly vs. Owen Barder: Event Video. Retrieved from:
https://www.cgdev.org/media/william-easterly-vs-owen-barder-event-video
Jensen, E. M. (2001). The Taxing Power, The Sixteenth Amendment, and the Meaning of
Incomes. Ariz. St. LJ, 33, 1057.
Koslowski, P. (2001). Commutative justice. In Principles of ethical economy (pp. 184-210).
Springer, Dordrecht.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
