Nick's Blog: How Do Government & The Private Sector Intersect? How should it?

I believe that the government and private sector intersect. The government has control over almost everything that the economy does. In certain situations both the private sector and government has crossed the line. An example of the private sector is prisons being privatized. The personnel on board the private sector do not necessarily have a clue on how to run a prison. They might let the inmates have too much freedom. They could allow inmates unlimited computer access, unlimited time outside (working out, playing sports, etc.), they might provide high cost meals for them. Other concerns would be with safety. The private sector prison workers might let their guard down more often, they might not know what to do in case of a riot, they might not know what to do when a one on one fight happens, they might not know what to do to prevent inmates from having weapons inside their cell, they might not know what to do if inmates have drugs and make alcohol. Another thing is they will think of it as a prison but instead a business. They could view making the inmates happy as the right way to run the prison. What they would fail to realize is that the inmates committed a crime and need to be punished. They would be sending the wrong message to them by trying to keep them happy and doing extra things for them to make sure they remain happy. There would be a good chance the inmates would not learn their lesson from being at a privatized prison.

On the other hand, the government personnel do know how to run a prison. The government has been running prisons for a long time. They know how to keep inmates in line, while not crossing over the line (in most cases). They will not allow things such as unlimited computer and outside access. There is some kind of rules they follow regarding letting inmates use computers and be outside. They will not provide extraordinary meals for inmates. Most likely inmates only have two meals a day. The government ran prisons would never let their guard down, they would know what to do in every type of situation. They will make sure the inmates learn their lesson.

There needs to be happy medium between the government and private sector for it to be most effective. There can't be too much goverment or too much private sector. Too much government will cause people to lose their freedom. Too much private sector will cause everything to lose its value. What needs to happen so that there will be a medium between the government and private sector?