A good society requires that its members agree on the general conditions that will govern relations among them, on some means of arbitrating different interpretations of these conditions, and on some device for enforcing compliance with the generally accepted rules. In both games and society also, no set of rules can prevail unless most participants most of the time conform to them without external sanctions; unless that is, there is a broad underlying social consensus.But we cannot rely on custom or on this consensus alone to interpret and to enforce the rules; we need an umpire.
So the basic roles of government in free society: To provide means whereby we can modify the rules, and to enforce compliance with the rules on the part of those few who would otherwise not play the game.
Exchange is truly voluntary only when nearly equivalent alternatives exist. Monopoly implies the absence of alternatives and thereby inhibits effective freedom of exchange.
Externalities should be controlled by government.
Freedom is a tenable objective only for responsible individuals.
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