When a government treats citizens primarily as human capital—units of labor intended to bolster GDP—the fundamental nature of the social contract shifts. Traditionally, the contract implies a reciprocal relationship: citizens follow laws and pay taxes in exchange for security and the means to live a decent life. However, when economic metrics become the sole benchmark for success, the state stops viewing people as ends in themselves and starts seeing them as tools for market expansion.
This shift creates a transactional tension. If the state prioritizes industrial output and fiscal growth above the psychological stability of the populace, it ignores the 'care' aspect of governance. We see the consequences in rising rates of burnout, anxiety, and social alienation. People feel like replaceable parts in a vast machine rather than members of a community. This erosion of the communal bond often leads to political instability or a breakdown in civic participation.
Instead of fostering a cohesive society, this approach fosters a high-pressure environment where individual stability is sacrificed for quarterly growth. When the psychological health of the citizenry is treated as an external cost rather than a core responsibility, the legitimacy of the state begins to fray. People eventually demand a return to a contract that values human dignity as much as it values trade balances.
