Commentary: Can government be held accountable?

What do lifeguards, snow plow drivers and police officers, have in common? From recreation centers to police forces, government employs people in a wide range of careers.

From the outside, entities owned and operated by the state appear to run just like a regular business. Customers come and go, and operating hours are similar to surrounding businesses. But legally speaking, there aren’t just vast differences between public and private businesses in the way they’re funded, but in their legal liability to customers.

When private businesses inadvertently harm or knowingly violate an individual’s rights, they are bound by law to take full responsibility if a court finds them guilty. Their…