Sample Issue Essays for AWA - 50 | Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) for GRE PDF Download

"Government officials should rely on their own judgment rather than unquestioningly carry out the will of the people they serve".

Sample Answer:

• Government management functions like policy-making and budgetary control are important for the balanced development of any society. This is particularly true in the modern age of massive technological and economic changes and the increasing effects of globalization. Day by day, governments and public organizations are adapting to the rapidly changing world around them to deliver new values for people. To state that they should discard the will of the people and solely rely on their own judgment is a rather simplistic view on a complex topic. I believe that they should be intelligent enough to understand the needs of the people and take a call. The will of the people is the only factor on which their judgment is based.
• Government officials should be competent and intelligent to judge whether the policies and changes they implement would improve the living standards of people. However, when they completely ignore the will of the people, the government can become analogous and authoritarian. Officials can become focused on maintaining their position of power rather than the welfare of the people. Many examples can be seen throughout history. During Stalin’s regime, he implemented five-year plans for the industrial advancement of the USSR. That, however, came at the cost of an enormous human toll, as the focus of the plans was bolstering the economy and keeping Stalin’s regime in power. Also, it needs to be emphasized that the responsibility of any government is to cater to the needs of people, not to implement what they think is best. Officials should be focused on the welfare of people rather than the perks their positions of power get them. When the needs of people are acknowledged and they feel like their voices are being heard, they tend to be more reasonable and show support and cooperation.
• To further shed light on the viewpoint expressed in the essay, the term consensus democracy needs to be explained. In simple terms, it means the application of consensus decision-making to the process of legislation in a democracy. That is, government institutions ought to give primacy to their inhabitants' requests and demands. Therefore, when the policies are made they will be supported by the majority. People play the role of, primarily, spectators and, secondarily, that of the consulted parties. The term demonstrates that only when the voices of the people are heard. They are used as a significant resource for planning the policies and strategies of the government.
• The supporters of the statement that government officials should be making the decisions only based on their knowledge and experience bring up some points constantly to support their opinion. Mainly, the fact that sometimes what the people want may not be the best course of action. A recent example is the Covid-19 pandemic where governments had to make some tough choices despite the dissatisfaction of the people. In such times, government officials must indeed exercise their best judgment and give people what they need rather than what they want. But it should be remembered that situations like that don’t happen often. Completely ignoring people’s ideas is unjustifiable and can have rather unpleasant consequences in the long run. When officials ignore what the people are saying constantly, it can lead to people turning against the government. This might also lead to a tense political climate, sometimes even an uprising. A harmonious relationship between the government and its people is essential for any society to flourish. That cannot be accomplished if the will of people is ignored.
• In conclusion, what is needed is a balance between the experience and judgment of the government officials. The balance of the demands of people rather than one side having all the power in the decision-making process is important. Otherwise, governments can turn corrupt and authoritarian and, in extreme situations, lead to violence and uprisings.