GMAT Essays (AWA)

Hi all,

Retrieved this essay from the Sample list of essays found in the BTG 60-day study guide. Appreciate if you can rate it, or review it. Would be much appreciative, and I'll also rate your essay for you.
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Gurpreet

Question
"Even at its best, a government is a tremendous burden to business, though a necessary one."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with
reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.


Response
Even at its best, a government is a tremendous burden to business. In analysing this issue, the following essay would examine the points in relation to this topic, highlighting the positive aspects and negative aspects of the involvement governments in business. Although there are some disadvantages to this involvement, due to overwhelming issues presented, the essay argues for the involvement of goverment in businesses, and agree that it is a necessary involvment. It is also to be noted that, by use of the phrase "even at its best", the essay restricts this discussion to only governments that are not corrupt.

Governments and legislature play a big part in the way businesses are conducted today. In most countries, public services such as transportation and waterworks are directly government controlled, keeping them safe and efficient. However, governments also have a part to play in the foundation for private companies.

By governments playing a part in regulating businesses, companies are held accountable by the products that they are selling. Government involvement ensures that businesses are run cleanly and ethically. In the example of lottery tickets, government legislature ensures that lottery ticket holders are informed of the rights in their purchase, particularly when they are entitled to collect their winnings. Without this government involvement, lottery vendors might engage in questionable activities to avoid paying lottery winners.

The involvement of governments in businesses also dictates certain guidelines in terms of product quality. This is particularly so in the pharmaceutical industry, in which drugs have to be approved by a higher body to ensure that the population is not consuming anything that damages their health before they are even sold. For example, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States gives pharmaceutical companies stringent requirements to ensure that drugs produced and distributed do not have harmful impurities that might damage general health.

Governments also are involved in the administering the control in selling certain products. This can be done by licensing and censorship. For example, when the Marina Bay Sands casino was launched in Singapore last year, the casino had to apply for a license to open in the Republic. By doing so, the casino also had to ensure that stringent measures are conducted to prevent underaged patrons or black-listed problem gamblers from entering the casino. In this way, governments are a burden to the casino by restricting full access to the entire Singapore population. However, they act to the positive interest of the population, and protect the consumers. Furthermore, the use of censorship when allowing cinemas to show certain movies allow movie producers to continue making movies, while censorship allows these movies to be screened. Thus, movie-makers can continue to produce and distribute movies, while admittedly with some drawbacks.

One of the key negative points about goverments being involved with business is in the restrictions that governments impose. Government involvement in the examples of licensing might involve too much paperwork and regulations that have to be adhered to. This takes focus away from the commercial activity of selling the product. Furthermore, some governments might have their selfish agendas in getting involved with certain businesses. For example, it can be argued that high tobacco tax, while increasing the price of ciggarettes and detering ciggarette sales, also gives the government economic benefits through the taxes.

In conclusion, although government involvement in the business arena does present some disadvantages, it is a necessity. By protecting the consumer, government involvement ensures that businesses are being conducted ethically. While they are a burden in the stringent requirements required in certain industries, tise legislature, although may seem to be a burden, exist to keep businesses running in a sustainable manner.