Opinion essay

Public services
Governments pay the salaries of public sector workers like police officers and teachers
The necessary money is raised by taxing people’s income
Free education and healthcare may be provided by the state
Some governments control public transport systems and even TV channels
In other countries, these services are provided by private companies
Some people believe that competition between private companies is good
It helps to improve quality while bringing prices down
Other people think that essential services should be free Governments should pay for them


Censorship: Opinion
Governments can censor what public sees or reads in the media
To a certain extent censorship is necessary
We should use censorship to protect children from violent images Some computer games involve killing people or committing crimes The Internet also needs to be controlled
Many websites show pornography and violence
There should be age limits for websites and computers games
Parents need to take responsibility for checking what their children watch
It is impossible for governments to control everything we see


Video cameras in public places
The use of CCTV is becoming widespread
Video cameras have been installed in many public places They are supposed to protect us and deter criminals
Many people think that this surveillance violates our privacy
The authorities could build databases with our pictures and identities
We should not be treated like criminals


Smart cards: Positives
Governments will probably introduce a digital identification card system Smart cards will have benefits and drawbacks
They could help to reduce crime
They could hold personal information, such as DNA (Digital bank cards could contain fingerprint information)
It would be very difficult for criminals to use a stolen card
It would be easier for police to identify people and catch criminals