Legislation or Social Engineering

From a Wikipedia article on Political Social Engineering, we read that social engineering is a concept in the political world of influencing popular attitudes and social behavior on a large scale. Governments have been influencing behavior through incentives and disincentives built into economic policy and tax policy for centuries. Prohibitions on murder, rape, suicide, littering are all policies aimed at discouraging undesirable behavior. Incentives in the tax code, deductions for children, green initiatives, home mortgages are all policies aimed at encouraging or rewarding favored behavior. (Social engineering -political science)

Both sides of our political spectrum will accuse each other of using law, tax policy or other state influences to change existing power relationships and both sides are guilty. For all laws and policies, in some way, change behavior in our society. Yet when such laws or policies are created, and advantage is given to one group over another, very seldom do we hear that the policy is discriminatory or hateful. Some common examples:

• The tax credits given to parents for children discriminate against a parent that
  continues to care for a child past the age of 24.
• The laws of states that charge more tuition for out of state residents than for in state residents are discriminatory against the vast majority of individuals.
• There are quotas set within immigration laws to encourage/discourage certain groups from immigrating to the United States.

There are many more examples of laws and policies that could be included in this list. I believe there are very few laws that do not fit in this list. Legislation is passed because somebody felt it would be good for the community, state or country if a certain behavior was encouraged or discouraged. That is just the way our country works.

Our Constitution states:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (US Constitution)

We the people elect officials who must then determine how best to accomplish all of these great objectives stated in the Preamble. Therefore we the people should take careful note of the laws and policies being enacted. That is our democratic process. To elect officials that will enact legislation that is according to our way of thinking and to hold elected officials accountable for laws and policies created during the official’s tenure. Every law or policy enacted further engineers our society.

On occasion we also have the opportunity to vote on legislation which will again encourage or discourage behavior. No matter if it is a local zoo bonding, a law on gambling or the definition of marriage, make no mistake about it; we are setting law and or policy that will encourage or discourage behavior. Every citizen has the right to work towards the end that he/she feels will create the desired society. By so voting, we are engineering our society.