Government is the body that runs the country. One or more political parties make up the
government, and a huge team of civil servants supports them. Politicians often attend debates and meetings
in government buildings, where they decide on what policies will or will not work, and
how the national budget should be spent. A good government protects and provides for
the people. It keeps the country moving forward. Today, we’ll look into just how important
the government is, in this episode of The Infographics Show, What If The Government
Suddenly Disappeared? It’s not hard to find examples of countries
functioning without government. Belgium sets the record for the longest period
without an elected government in a democracy, when between 2010 and 2011, there was a 589
day break, after wrangling between Flemish and Walloon figures. And Spain spent the first 10 months of 2016
in a similar position, with a stalemate between socialists and conservatives. Beyond Europe, it’s not difficult to find
more examples...Iraq went without a government for much of 2010, towards the end of the war. What happens when there is no government depends
a lot on the back up plan the country has, as well as the cultural response. So what would happen in the US? The first few days… Let’s just assume that in this case study,
you simply woke up one day and the government had disappeared overnight. Vanished into thin air, leaving us all to
fend for ourselves. One of the first things most of us do after
waking up, is brush our teeth. But when you go to turn on the tap, knowing
there is no public services authority, you’d be wondering; “Is the water supply safe
to drink? Who’s decontaminating it from dangerous
bacteria?” Feeling a little gritty with your unbrushed
teeth, you might head back to the bedroom to get dressed for work. But if you use public transport for the commute,
you’ll soon realize you can’t get there. We’re only 20 minutes into the day and it’s
already looking bleak! You decide to check up on the latest news
to see how much impact the lack of government is having on the country. There would be chaos in the financial markets. The U.S. federal debt exceeded $21 trillion
in March 2018, and it is the largest single investment instrument in the market. If the federal government disappeared, there
would be no guarantee of the debt being honored. The value of the US dollar would also become
completely questionable. Each note is backed by what’s known as "full
faith and credit of the U.S. government". But with no US government, what would it be
worth? The federal government is also responsible
for a whole host of corporate functions such as taxes, regulations, and trade operations. There’s no back up plan to keep any of this
going if the whole government disappeared overnight. One thing that may shoot up in value would
be gold and silver, as precious metals would always be worth something in trade, so quick
thinking investors would jump on that…It’s a pretty dreary first morning as you sit watching
the financial chaos, wishing you could brush your teeth. The first few weeks… After the crazy start, life would need to
carry on in one way or another. Where governments have fallen apart or been
overthrown, the capability of the military often plays a big part in what happens next. Using Thailand as an example, in May 2014,
the Royal Thai Armed Forces launched a military coup against the government of Thailand, following
six months of political crisis. The military established what was called the
National Council for Peace and Order (or NCPO) to govern the nation. With the military stepping in, they took on
the responsibilities of the government, which limited the disruption. However, Thailand has been through this process
a number of times, and there would likely be a lot more chaos if the US government disappeared. Assuming most businesses carried on as normal,
with the lack of federal government, there would be no reason to deduct taxes from wages,
so workers would receive bigger paychecks. That’s good news right? Maybe not…as systems such as the federal
social security program would also stall, and retired people would struggle to find
the cash for day-to-day living. And Medicare would disappear, causing havoc
in the health sector. There would quickly need to be state level
authority before further community functions fell apart. Who would pay USDA inspectors, FAA flight
controllers, and other key personnel? And how would federal prisons continue to
run, or would they simply open their doors and set everyone free? It’s not easy to answer these questions,
as it would come down to many factors...the most important question being, who would step
up and take responsibility in these first few vital months. It’s quite possible that the banking sector
might take some control, as the major banks hold a lot of the country’s wealth. Something similar happened in New York in
1975, when the city found itself in a debt crisis and was forced to hand some of the
authority to its lenders. The banks formed a committee called the Municipal
Assistance Corporation, and set out to control the city’s finances. This resulted in thousands of teachers, police
officers, and firefighters being sacked. So it’s not unimaginable that the likes
of Citigroup and Bank of America could band together in an attempt to create a replacement
system and even form a new currency. A few months in… More issues would crop up as time passes. Assuming that a local authority did not take
responsibility for the federal food inspection system, there would eventually be contaminated
food on supermarket shelves and in restaurants, potentially leading to mass disease. There would certainly have been a major economic
collapse, and with thousands more people out of work, and all major government activities
ceased, it’s highly likely this would lead to civil unrest as people start to lose patience. It’s hard to say what would happen with
Interstate commerce. Would companies be hampered by the absence
of a federal court system and a means of resolving state boundary legalities? You would hope that corporate responsibility
and the importance of reputation would see most disputes resolved. The tax system would be well and truly broken
by this stage, with the non-existence of income taxes, capital gains taxes, and excise taxes. So even if there were some states ruling,
they would need to find a way to raise revenue to pay for the services previously handled
by the federal government. One year on… A year in, and America would likely be considered
a 3rd world country, with society looking more like it did in the 18th century, with
a great deal more responsibility back in the hands of citizens. There might be town council meetings to decide
whether to allow business projects to go forward, and what was left of the corporate sector
would probably play a major role in societal governance. Instead of a Food & Drug Administration, perhaps
business or community would demand an independent organization to develop standards, conduct
tests, and certify which drugs were safe and effective. By now, the prisons would likely all be privately
run, and you would hope that other functions previously managed by the government would
fall into the hands of people or small businesses. Somalia went with no functioning national
government for two decades, until 2012, when an internationally backed government was installed. There was much chaos and fighting during that
time, but people still got by, and the country sets a good example of how people respond
to collective problems without government. In many parts of the country, communities
organized themselves to solve collective problems and provide public goods. And residents managed to maintain daily routines
much like those in more developed countries. Private-sector firms offered basic utilities
and services, such as garbage removal and clean water access, and small local council
units took responsibility for jobs normally left to the state. Removing the government certainly sounds like
a bad idea, but does society see it that way? We looked at debate.org, an online community
debating website, where we found a debate titled, is life without government possible? That vote came in with 58% of people saying
it would be possible. One subscriber argued: “It would be utopia. Worldwide anarchy is something to strive for. It would not be utter chaos.” So, what do you think? Would life be good or bad if there was no government
in place? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Also be sure to check out our other video
called, Most Powerful Corporations in the World. Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t
forget to like, share, and subscribe. See you next time!
