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My Neighbor's Keeper? Rethinking Responsibility and the Role of Government
Publication Date: August 2007
Publisher(s): Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.)
Author(s): Ryan Messmore
Series: Backgrounder
Topic: Social conditions (Community life and organization)
Keywords: Religion; limited government; responsibility; care for poor
Type: Report
Coverage: United States
Abstract:
It is only when local communities based on personal interaction fail to provide for people's needs that government responsibility comes into play. Even in such cases, policy should acknowledge the responsibility that such institutions as families, neighborhoods, and churches have for their members and remove barriers and disincentives for them to act in personal ways to solve problems.