The government as bureaucracy
The development of committees and bureaus is an inseparable aspect of this program. When conservative types resist government oversight and tax-burdening government programs, that is the counterbalance to Defoe's idea of government, which is to establish committees not to slow progress but to maximize it. By allowing the program that oversees programs, the Projectors project, the government is able to respond to actual feedback about the success or failure government programs.
Government as a tool
Instead of Hobbes's theory of the government as an institution, we see Defoe's theory that a government is a tool for the people to serve themselves through elected leaders. Hobbes saw the government as essentially a response to the threat of violent death. The government is the institution whose power staves off the human tendency to murder sometimes. Defoe says that view is pessimistic and offers an active, public-centric works program for the government to improve quality of life for its people.
The roads
Today it is very common for governments to assume responsibility for the upkeep of the roads, but in the past that wasn't necessarily the case. In this work, we see Defoe urging the government to assume that responsibility by forming a government project or program that will be in charge of allocating government funds to hire contractors to work on the road. Of course, this was published before the first cars were on the road, so the idea is uncanny.
Pensions and benefits
The idea of employee benefits and pensions comes up in this Essay as a major step forward in the role of government. Not only is the law benefitting people through the upkeep of legal standards, but in Defoe's conception, legal efforts are made to actually help people to retire and have some financial stability. He sees this as an essential part of a healthy economy, and he extends these programs especially to merchants and seafaring businessmen.
Economy as powerhouse
If mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, then Defoe sees the merchants as the powerhouse of the public. Through business efforts, public people can improve the economic health of a nation by bringing in more resources to that nation through trade. Therefore, he sees that the government can help itself by helping businessmen to mitigate their risks. He offers an idea for a program that would eliminate some risk through assurances.
