<em>The Decline of Government</em><br/>Economic and social ruin outstripped the ability of government to deal with them, and so traditional institutions which promoted order began breaking down.  Government still exists, but it is far more remote and less powerful.<br/><br/>As income plunged, so too did tax revenues, leading to a moratorium on debt repayment that sent a massive shock through the world financial community.  Now few borrowers will buy government bonds (making deficit financing nearly impossible) and meager tax revenues will not support previous levels of activity.<br/><br/>In the political arena, passsage of the Voting Rights Act of 2001, which included provisions for voters to give their proxy votes to others in government elections, just as they previously could in corporate elections, has concentrated tremendous political power in the hands of large corporations.  They, in turn, have done everything possible to limit the size of government.<br/><br/>The result is not only a dramatic decline in basic government services, but also a retreat from even trying to control certain geographic areas.  Large stretches of countryside are now referred to as the "Out-Law", since they are out of the legal jurisdiction of any active government authority.  Rural areas are the responsiblity of county police, but in counties where there are no permanent residents, there are obviously no police.  State police patrol the interstate highway system, but little else.  The FBI still has nominal authority over a wide variety of situations, but financial and manpower resources are so limited that intervention is infrequent and haphazard.