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Introduction
We’ve become so accustomed to the concept of the American government that we don’t really stop to think about its role in the lives of its citizens. We often doubt if our suggestions will ever reach the ears of our authorities, but the government really exists for the people.
What are the main purposes of government? The author of this sample essay takes us through the basic functions of government and how these are designed to benefit us.
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Deciphering the Purpose of Government
We encounter so many mixed opinions about the performance of our government in our daily lives. Some people are extremely satisfied with how it is able to take care of the people, while most others have fiery feedback about some aspects of governance and how it can be improved.
While we have a lot to say about our leaders, it is first important for us to step back and evaluate our own understanding of the purpose of government. Why does it even exist, and what is its primary vision?
In America, I believe that the government exists, first and foremost, to promote the core values of the democracy our forefathers fought so hard to attain. It is to enact laws that will allow citizens of America to enjoy every freedom that has been bestowed upon them by the Constitution.
The Bill of Rights contains five fundamental types of freedom we ought to practice: speech, religion, assembly, appeal, and press. These basic freedoms are for every citizen to enjoy, all of society to embrace, and the whole nation to protect.
At the same time, three more key values of democracy must also be upheld: liberty, justice, and equality. Liberty refers to the key freedoms of citizens while establishing justice means having a concept of fairness that is applied to all Americans, regardless of their cultural and ethnic background. This connects to the value of equality, which empowers everyone to see one another as equals with the same potential to contribute to a better America.
It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that every public policy placed upon people champions these rights and core values. It is to protect individual rights for the happiness of every citizen and the overall benefit of the country. The main purpose of government is to fight for the common good of its people.
4 Main Purposes of Government
What are the essential functions of government? In what ways does it purpose its main purpose? In this essay, I would like to share the four specific roles it plays in the lives of its people in order to uphold the true spirit of democracy in the nation.
To establish justice
One of the ways in which the government serves us is to promote justice in all spheres of society, on the premise that all American citizens are created equal. Key actions under this function would fall under the jurisdiction of the judicial branch, from creating policies that stand for the fair treatment of all people to the right to a fair trial and the creation of a criminal justice system that still sees convicted felons as humans with dignity.
Every day, victims and perpetrators emerge from different situations, with many of them requiring the help of our justice system. It is the government’s duty to ensure that proper justice is exacted on the guilty and that victims receive some sort of compensation for the suffering that they have experienced.
To form a more perfect Union
This was one of the first mentions in the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, which hearkens back to the time that slavery was finally abolished and there was a proclamation of the self-evident truth that all men are created as equals. In essence, a more perfect Union refers to coming together in unity to share a vision and dream for the entire nation. We have a colorful history that highlights the radical division between states, which the Civil War eventually resolved.
Today, we see some form of disunity in terms of the issues that divide us in this season. We swing from one extreme to another. As such, governments provide ways for groups and organizations to find a middle ground on each issue as a matter of public interest. It is also a way of ensuring public order in a place where diversity reigns.
To provide for the common defense
One of the key functions of government is to ensure the protection of all its citizens through the use of military power. It is responsible for identifying threats to national security and coming up with strategies and tactics to contain them. It is to gather intelligence to develop techniques for common defense to secure the lives of affected Americans, whether in the country or abroad. There are also times when the government needs to protect people from one another, as a division within can also lead to tension, conflict, and protest.
To promote the general welfare
All in all, it’s our leaders’ role to protect the public interest. In a day and age where there are always looming threats to unity and democracy, the country’s governing body must utilize its resources to ensure the common good of all citizens. The legislative branch can help write each law, while the executive branch helps enact them. The Supreme Court oversees the overall protection of constitutional rights and ensures that due process is always followed.
Part of promoting general welfare is also to aim for consistent economic growth so for the nation’s well-being. It is strategizing to do whatever is needed to stimulate the economy into constant progression – from the creation of new jobs to the modernization of public infrastructures. It also creates laws to ensure that the everyday behavior of the American does not trample on the rights of others.
In the last few centuries, we have seen how our government ensures that our individual rights are protected and how its three branches work independently and together to secure a better future for each person. I appreciate how it has championed our unalienable rights of life, liberty, and happiness. I believe that thanks to the leadership of our president, the American government is doing a great job in using its power for good.
I remember how former President Thomas Jefferson, one of our Founding Fathers, used to say that it was important for the government to establish trust with its people and really serve them. When selfishness emerges, people start being afraid of their leaders and this only leads to tyranny. On the other hand, when the only priority and concern of the government is the general welfare of its people, then true liberty can be enjoyed.
I enjoin us to also do our part to support our governments. By always keeping in mind the purpose of government, we can then provide checks and balances as its people and speak up when there is a need to reestablish our rights to freedom and happiness. At the same time, let us be responsible, law-abiding citizens and abide by the national and local rules and regulations set for us to follow. When we support public policy, then it becomes much easier to maintain public order. True democracy can only be achieved when both governments and citizens do their specific part in building and upholding the vision and values of their nation.