在托福独立写作中，政府类话题出题比例较低，但每年都会有，题目常涉及的就是政府职能和拨款问题。
如下面几道典型的题目：
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for the government to spend money on new buildings than to preserve historic or traditional buildings and homes. 2015.9.13
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The government should spend money helping more people access the Internet instead of improving public transportation. 2016.9.7
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People can solve important problems by themselves or with the help from their family members so there’s no need for the government to help them. 2018.3.10
在解决这一类花钱问题， 我们思考政府是否需要去做这类投资时，可以遵循以下四个基本原则：
1取之于民，用之于民，全民受惠
2轻重急缓 (重要的先做) give priority to urgent issues
Eg: 艺术 VS 公共服务：Material needs outweigh spiritual needs
3花更少的钱(省钱的，受益大或长远受益的先做) cost-effective, benefit the majority in the long term
4不花冤枉钱 (个人、私营企业能做好的，政府不做，反之只能由政府做的，要去做)
其中一个原则中，常涉及的政府投资有：
√ 公共服务(public service)→如:教育 (education )和医疗 ( health care/medical care and education );
√ 社会基础设施(social infrastructure)→如:体育馆stadium/gymnasium和图书馆 public library
√ 本土文化(indigenous/local culture)→如艺术arts和建筑物 architects
√ 科研(scientific research)
那么接下来，我们根据以上的4个原则去进行文章构思：
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for the government to spend money on new buildings than to preserve historic or traditional buildings and homes.
观点可为：政府应该投资老建筑，因为保护有历史意义的建筑有助于文化保护和旅游经济的发展。文章结构如下安排：
1. 历史文化建筑有长久的文化象征意义(historical buildings serve as symbols of distinctive culture) 【原则1】
2. 历史文化建筑也可发展旅游业，促进经济持续发展(tourism can boost economy)【原则3】
3. 个人没有动力保护历史文化建筑，政府适合承担(governments are in the best position to shoulder the responsibility) 对比建造 new building可以有房地产开发商做real estate developer 【原则4】
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The government should spend money helping more people access the Internet instead of improving public transportation.
观点：政府应该投资公共交通。文章结构如下安排：
1. 公共交通覆盖面更广，给人们生活提高了便利(considerably facilitate people’s daily commuting, affect almost everyone’s life)【原则1】
2. 公共交通影响更大，关系到空气质量(reduce the carbon emission and air pollution, which is closely associated with every single person)【原则2，3】
3. 个人没有动机发展公共交通，政府适合承担(governments are in the best position to shoulder the responsibility) 对比internet access可以由private Co.去进行建设 【原则4】
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People can solve important problems by themselves or with the help from their family members so there’s no need for the government to help them.
（important problems比较抽象，我们可以反过来思考，依照【原则4】，思考什么问题得靠政府来做，然后举例说明，题目就迎刃而解了。）
观点：虽然生活琐碎之事可以通过个人及朋友家人帮助完成，但有些事情只能由政府来做，只有政府才有足够的财力、影响力完成，如环境保护、公共交通、教育医疗等。
1.个人面对环境问题无能为力，需要政府支持(大量资金和法律)。
2.个人面对医疗问题有时也无能为力(没钱看病; 有钱但无医疗条件)
3.个人面对就业问题(教育好了，但是人口多，就业机会少，经济不景气等)
