Opinion

How to run a country

BREAKTHROUGH - Elfren S. Cruz - The Philippine Star

August 25, 2016 | 12:00am

Are there any rules or guides on how to best run a nation? We have university courses at the world’s top universities dedicated to answering this question. There are articles and books that could fill a library on this topic. Believe it or not, two thousand one hundred years, this same question was addressed by Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul and constitutionalist.

At that time Rome was still a Republic and Cicero was elected as Consul, the highest office. But his country was being threatened by power hungry politicians, economic troubles, foreign turmoil and political parties that refused to work together. Cicero’s thoughts on how to run a country is still relevant two thousand years after he passed away. Here is a summary:

1. There are divine laws that are timeless, which guarantee fundamental freedoms for everyone. Cicero would never have thought of this concept of natural law in terms used later by Christians, but he firmly believed that divine rules independent of time and place guarantee fundamental freedoms to everyone and constrain the way in which governments should behave. As the American Founding Fathers, careful students of Cicero, wrote in the “Declaration of Independence”: We believe these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

2. The best forms of government embrace a balance of powers. Even the most noble kings will become tyrants if their reign is unchecked just as democracy will degrade into mob rule if there are no constraints on popular power. A just government must be founded on a system of checks and balances. Beware the leader who sets aside constitutional rules claiming the need for expedience or security.

3. Leaders should be of exceptional character and integrity. Those who would govern a country must possess great courage, ability and resolve. True leaders always put the interests of their nation above their own. As Cicero says, governing a country is like steering a ship, especially when the storm winds begin to blow. If the captain is not able to hold a steady course, the voyage will end in disaster for all.

4. Keep your friends close-and your enemies closer. Leaders fail when they take their friends and allies for granted. Never neglect your supporters, but even more important, always make sure you know what your enemies are doing. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those who oppose you. Pride and stubbornness are luxuries you cannot afford.

5. Intelligence is not a dirty word. Those who govern should be the best and the brightest of the land. As Cicero says, if leaders don’t have a thorough knowledge of what they are talking about, their speeches will be a silly prattle of empty words and their actions will dangerously misguided.

6. Compromise is the key to getting things done. Cicero writes that in politics it is irresponsible to take an unwavering stand when circumstances are always evolving. There are times to stand one’s ground, but consistently refusing to yield is a sign of weakness, not strength.

7. Don’t raise taxes – unless you absolutely have to. Every country needs revenue in order to function, but Cicero declares that a primary purpose of a government is to assure that individuals keep what belongs to them, not to redistribute. On the other hand, he condemns the concentration of such wealth into the hands of a few and asserts that it is the duty of a country to provide fundamental services and security to its citizens.

8. Immigration makes a country stronger. Rome grew from a small village to a mighty empire by welcoming new citizens into its ranks as it spread across the Mediterranean. Even former slaves could become full voting members of society. New citizens bring new energy and ideas to a country.

9. Never start an unjust war. Of course, the Romans, just like modern nations, believed they could justify any war they wanted to wage, but Cicero at least holds up the ideal that wars begun from greed rather than defense or to protect a country’s honor are inexcusable.

10. Corruption destroys a nation. Greed, bribery, and fraud devour a country from the inside, leaving it weak and vulnerable. Corruption is not merely a moral evil, but a practical menace that leaves citizens at best disheartened, at worst seething with anger and ripe for revolution.

Tyranny

Cicero wrote on many topics including the evils of tyranny. He said People submit themselves to the authority and powers of another person for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they do it because of goodwill or gratitude for favors shown to them. Sometimes people subordinate themselves fearing that if they don’t, the other person will make them anyway. Sometimes people surrender their freedom because of gifts or promises. Finally, as has so often been the case in their own country, people submit to the power of another because of outright bribes.

The best way for a man to gain authority over others and maintain it is through genuine affection. The worst way, however, is through fear. Those rulers who wish to keep their subjects under control by force will have to use brutal methods...Whoever tries to govern a country through fear is quite mad. For no matter how much a tyrant might try to overturn the law and crush the spirit of freedom, sooner or later it will rise up again either through public outrage or the ballot box.