Governments have the privilege of using brute force to back its decisions. Exercised in taxation, military conscription, participation in the Social Security system, drug use and gun ownership laws, etc. Brute force is political power. Other human institutions are not able to use brute force to make you buy what they are selling. Businesses, charities, service organizations, churches etc.
Political power violates one of the two great moral, or common, laws.
The use of brute force is always encroachment. Therefore, political power is inherently evil. Much of the material from this article is a condensation, along with some of my own practical ideas, of the art of reading described in How to Read a Book by Dr. Mortimer Adler. This book is really essential for homeschoolers using real books in the secondary curriculum. We recommend it without reservation.