What are the two most important things for order?

[Drychnath]

What two things do you think are most important for a country to be ordered? These can be institutions, guiding philosophies, forms of government, or whatever. Here's my two, which I shall explain if this gets any reaction:

1) Census Bureau.
2) Post Office.

[johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt]

oh boy, choosing two things most important for control and stability?...uh, that's tough, definitely post, but, other'n that, i'm going to have to say...no, you don't even need a well defined organized and written down government, just look at britain. *frowns* transportation? an ability to easily travel across the nation along with the ability to communicate across the nation, both of these lends to a sense of national identity and feelings of commonality...in my opinion.

[Drychnath]

The premise for my two choices is thus;

1) Knowledge of one's own country facilitates all functions of government. Consider what would not be efficient or even possible without knowledge of the country being administrated; taxation, draft, voting, etc. The government must know about the country they rule; and the Census provides that information for them. Therefore, the Census Bureau (or equivalent insitution) is vital for the successful maintenance of law and order.

2) Probably the thing most lacking in those countries with widespread chaos and disruption is the presence of those who enforce order. In most disordered countries, the government wields no authority outside the range of their guns. What they lack is a non-violent and pervasive means of exercising authority. What, I ask you, is the most omni-present government insitution you can think of? Consider that every residential structure in the country has a mailbox as a part of the building or property. The same is true of any commercial structure. There is nowhere people live in this country that the mail cannot get to. As a government institution, every manned postal office or depot serves as a direct conduit through which government authority can be exercised. It is also a valuable means of communication; connecting all people within the country, and providing a ready-made system through which to transmit any given set of information or order. Thus, a Post Office.

[Pike]

not blough or ben

[Arcadian]

I think I agree with Hobbes on this one, that Fear plays a great role in keeping order in societies.

[Drychnath]

I agree fear plays a role, but for the average struggling destitute nation's government, they lack even sufficient order and organization to make fear an effective tool. A reign of terror is still a reign; and you must be on top to do it. You can't threaten to kill people if you haven't anyone around to actually kill them with. And to get them in the right place, you need to have a basic level of order anyway.

[DarkNeopagan]

law enforcement and free press

Law enfrocement for the obvious reason

free press to be able to know what is really happening