May 15, 2013 12:53PM 

# Government… IS… PEOPLE! 

By [Andrew J. Coulson](https://www.cato.org/people/andrew-coulson) 

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The [*Christian Science Monitor*](http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2013/0514/IRS-scandal-as-a-lesson-in-civic-values) suggests this lesson be drawn from the Obama administration’s recent scandalpalooza:

> Congress should use this IRS scandal to beef up civics education for federal workers as well as for public school students. Lesson No. 1: Government cannot restrict or discriminate against political causes that it disagrees with.

I think the scandals teach a different lesson: Government *will* misbehave because it, like Soylent Green, *is made from people*. Fallible, foible-ridden people. Therefore, government’s unique powers must be strictly limited to avoid miscarriages of justice.

One of these days, someone should build a nation on that lesson.…

##### Related Tags 

[Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Government and Politics](https://www.cato.org/government-politics), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom) 

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