Communitarians have suggested that our self-seeking tendencies must sometimes be set aside in pursuit of the common good. Government is often (although not always) the mechanism through which common interests are advanced. When government abdicates its responsibility, disastrous consequences often occur, as was the case with respect to hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. At the other extreme, disaster can also result from the accumulation of too much power in government, as in the case of Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. This essay suggests a communitarian framework for analysing the boundaries of government power and responsibility.
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