What Are the Five Purposes of Government?
According to USHistory.org, the five main purposes of government include national identity, defense, representation, infrastructure and social welfare. Most governments have three main branches, and these include the executive, the judicial and the legislature. All of these play a role in government. Governments originated as a result of the need to protect people from conflicts, as well as to provide law and order.
The government’s responsibility to provide its citizens with social programs is arguably one of the most controversial. In America, it began with the New Deal programs, which provided Americans with food, jobs and income. Most Americans heavily criticized these programs saying that they are expensive and destroy an individual’s sense of responsibility. In recent years, the purpose and responsibilities of the government have extended to include public service and the economy.
In terms of defense, it is the government’s responsibility to defend the borders of the country against foreign invasion. In this regard, all governments have some form of defense system that includes an army, an air force and a navy.
The government has the responsibility to uphold the nation’s identity, and these include a court of arms, the national flag and the national anthem. As for representation, the government represents the interests of its people in foreign treaties and negotiations. It is also the purpose of the government to provide roads, clean drinking water and electricity among other infrastructural service. It also introduces social programs to fulfill the interests of the minority.
