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.
Wealthier
The Census
Every 10 years, the Census offers a finely detailed portrait of America. Using its data, planners and scholars can see where we’ve been and where we’re headed. But others, including investors and business executives, have come to depend on this “gold standard” of demographic research. Here is the story of the Census, and why only government could produce something of this scale and quality.
Appliance Energy Standards
In the 1970s the federal government began testing appliances for energy consumption and requiring that the results be posted on dishwashers, laundry equipment, heating and air conditioning equipment, and the like. In the 50 years since, this testing and regulation system has saved consumers hundreds of billions of dollars and reduced energy use dramatically. It’s another way government quietly works to make your life better.
Minimum Wage
It took a quarter-century for America to establish the minimum wage in 1938. It quickly became one of the most popular things governments do. So why hasn’t Congress raised the minimum wage in more than a decade? Because economists are divided about its impact. But the reason citizens support a higher minimum wage may have nothing to do with economics. It may be about fairness.
Unemployment Insurance
A big reason the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 did not cause an economic collapse is because of unemployment insurance, which tided families over until the economy began its revival. Actually, this isn’t anything new for unemployment insurance, which has served as an “automatic stabilizer” for the American economy since 1935. It’s also a good example of how states and the federal government work together.