Responsibilities
of Government
We can begin to address the question of what are the responsibilities of
government by first looking at the Declaration of Independence to document the
legitimacy of government, then looking at the United States Constitution to
determine the obligations of government.
The Declaration of Independence in 1776 provided the following foundation
for the right of government to exist:
We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty
and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed....
The Declaration of Independence went on to say that the new government to
be established in what was then the 13 British colonies would lay its
foundation:
…on
such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
From this document it is clear that the Founding Fathers of our country
saw government as an essential vehicle for citizens to achieve justice, obtain
security, and to pursue happiness.
After winning the War of Independence the Founding Fathers gathered again
in 1787 to write the Constitution for the new government they had won the right
to establish. Their philosophy of
the role of government is stated in the first paragraph, i.e. the preamble, of
the Constitution of the
United States
:
We the
People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote
the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our
Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of
America.
The specific responsibilities of the government of the
United States
are important enough, and misunderstood enough, to warrant repeating:
- Form
a more perfect union.
- Establish
justice.
- Insure
domestic tranquility.
- Provide
for the common defense.
- Promote
the general welfare.
- Secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
In determining if government is functioning in a
responsible manner, we can come back to these obligations of government to see
if they are adequately being fulfilled.
An excerpt from the body of the Constitution might also be
of assistance in determining whether government is acting is a responsible
manner is specific situations. Article
I Section 8 states:
The
Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes…to pay the Debts and
provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the
United States
…
(and)
To
regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States…
From both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution it is clear
that the federal government has an obligation to do what it can to promote the
general welfare of citizens, and to assure that future generations will inherit
a nation that provides justice, liberty, and the protection of the general
welfare. It is clear that
Congress can levy taxes and regulate interstate commerce in order to fulfill
these obligations.
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