86 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

control. By now, however, most Governments have found it
wise to take some part in ecfonomic life. They still—except the
U.S.S.R.—believe that the chief part in economic affairs should
be played by private persons—that is, they believe in Private
Enterprise, or Capitalism—but to a greater or lesser degree they
regulate this enterprise. So there appears a second group of
Government activities, which can be called ECONOMIC.
These again may be divided into those which are meant to
encourage the production of wealth and those which affect the
way in which it is shared: the latter may be called SOCIAL
activities. There is nothing sacred about this threefold distri-
bution; it would not suit a primitive tribe, a Greek City State,
or the U.S.S.R., but it is convenient for describing the Government
of a modern Capitalist State such as Great Britain. To some
extent, also, it fits the history of British Government; the political
Departments have had a long life, while most of the others were
recently created and show signs of this in their organisation.
The distinction is not rigid; some activities are performed,
partly by one Department, partly by another, for purely historical
reasons; others, by their nature, are both political and economic.
This is particularly true of the activity which will be examined
first—that of raising money and managing expenditure. It
affects all activities, since none of them can be carried on without
it; and it is bound to influence the production and distribution
of wealth.

TH$ TREASURY.

The work of this Department was once carried on by a Lord
High Treasurer, but for more than 200 years this office has
been "in commission"—i.e., its duties have been entrusted to
a group of men known as Lords Commissioners. The supreme
imijortance of money caused the First Lord to be the chief man
in the Government. He has now become Prime Minister and
tak$s no further part in Treasury work. The member of the
"Commission of the Treasury" who really controls it is the