What Would You Do If You Ruled The World?

What three things would you do if you ruled the world?

This is what I would do:

First, I would restrict government spending to a maximum of 10% of GDP.

Second, I would forbid secondary legislation (i.e. The passing of enabling acts which allow the creation of further law and regulation at the discretion of ministers and officials).

Third, I would insist on maintaining parliamentary sovereignty.

Why these things?

Taxation must be limited because in taxing us the state co-opts us in the pursuit of its collective ends, which is necessarily at the expense of our ability to pursue our individual ends in life.

Secondary legislation must be eliminated because it gives law making powers to the executive, enabling them to avoid the rule of law: law becomes whatever they say it is.

It also makes feasible the creation of far more law, and law which is detailed and prescriptive instead of being general principles of conduct. Insisting on primary legislation helps limit the scope of government, and curtail the ambitions of politicians and bureaucrats.

And Parliament must retain its sovereignty, because it is through the mechanism of parliamentary government that those who govern are kept accountable to the people, and that there is a mutually understood relationship between the two.

Maintaining parliamentary sovereignty is of course another reason secondary legislation should be eliminated: it prevents the legislature from passing law making powers to bodies which have no accountability or relationship to the people - the road to eventual tyranny.