2016 Voter's Guide: What is the Purpose of Government?

     Given the political season America is currently experiencing, it would seem long overdue to revisit those principles that make for good government.  The founders believed that government is good and necessary and could serve the people of the United States well.  As long as it stayed true to its purposes, it could serve the people without abusing them.
     Those who framed our constitution said our government was designed to serve five ends:  To Establish Justice, Insure Domestic Tranquility, Provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

• "To establish justice" means to make sure every citizen stands equally before the judgement bar.  Lady Justice, holding a pair of balanced scales,  was blind-folded so that justice was meted out without regard to race, wealth, or popular influence.  Justice was not seen as an advocate for the victim.  Today, Justice has then taken off her blindfold and put her hands on the scale.  She purposely adjusts the scale in order to fix social problems.  The problem is every adjustment leads to injustice for all.
• "Insure domestic tranquility" means to aid in the process of people being able to live trustfully near your neighbor.  The role of a police force is to punish the evildoer so that the populace might live in peace.  A moral people make this job an easy, less intrusive task.  An immoral people means a greater governmental presence and intrusion.  John Adams reminds us that our way of government is not sufficient to keep the peace if we are not a moral people.
• "Provide for the common defense" means to protect our people from enemies from without.  It is the authorization to raise a military to protect our citizens and allow them to live in peace.  
• "Promote the general welfare" is an elastic clause that gave governmental leaders some flexibility to do what was in the best interests of all of us.  Today, every expenditure of Congress could be defended by this purpose.  However, the Framers added the word "general."  This was meant to prohibit government from pursuing the interests of some of us at the expense of others.  Rivalry between economic station or social condition was not seen as justification to break the unity between political factions.  The goals pursued under this purpose must be good for all of us.
• "Secure the blessings of liberty" means the government is designed to rule with only as much force as is needed to keep peace.  It must take a hands-off approach in other matters not related to its purposes.  Liberty is the goal, not power, influence, or income equality.

     If the government performs its functions well, we pass freedom on to our children.  If it does not, it becomes as tyrannical as the government from which we separated.  This fall, vote for candidates who understand well what is and is not the purpose of government.