In America, we seem to struggle with this question. For government to serve the people, there needs to be some consensus and a move to the center. Critics of the Left say that Democrats want to give handouts to everyone, we can’t afford it, and “not out of my taxes.” Critics of the Right say that Republicans are heartless and oppose the safety net that a society should provide for those in need, unless it is “they” who are in need.
There should be some basics that we can all agree on:
- We can’t afford to do everything for everyone
- There are some essential things that a government should provide
The trick will be compromising on what those things are. To find that middle ground, it helps to look at the foundations of American political thought. When we strip away today’s partisan noise, we find that the architects of our nation, and the world’s greatest leaders and thinkers, actually shared a common blueprint. The answer to our question, “What is Government For?” can be distilled down to four primary, overlapping functions based on the beliefs and writings of history’s greatest figures. While these individuals often disagreed on the size of government, they converged on its reason for being:
1. The Collective Builder
Presidents Lincoln and Obama, saw government as a tool for a community to achieve what is impossible for a person alone. It exists to do “what the individual cannot.” As Adam Smith noted, this includes public works like roads and bridges, infrastructure too expensive for private entities but essential for the common good. Winston Churchill saw government as a “Great Stabilizer” that provides a “safety net” and a “ladder,” while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed government should ensure the “American Dream” is accessible to everyone through education and social uplift.
2. The Protector of Rights
Nearly every figure, from Locke to Jefferson to Thatcher agreed that government exists to prevent one person from injuring another. Thomas Jefferson argued that legitimate government power extends only to acts “injurious to others,” while John Locke maintained it must protect “Life, Liberty, and Property.” To keep the peace, government must act as an impartial arbiter. Theodore Roosevelt called this a “Square Deal,” which restrains the excesses of powerful factions or “mighty commercial forces” that would otherwise crush the individual.
3. The Restrainer of Human Nature
James Madison and Alexander Hamilton viewed government as a necessary but dangerous machine, required precisely because “men are not angels.” Its very first duty is to provide the security needed to protect people from violence and invasion, a core function supported by figures as varied as Ronald Reagan and Adam Smith. Furthermore, Hamilton emphasized that government provides a framework of law to control conflicting interest groups, preventing a descent into chaos or the “extremes of democracy.”
4. The Servant of the Sovereign
Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglass, and Dr. King remind us that the government is not a master, but a servant. Because the citizens are the true “superiors and sovereigns” (Franklin), the government’s legitimacy rests on its uncompromising protection of “all the people” (Douglass). This means government has a moral obligation to ensure “social and economic justice” (King), prioritizing human rights over the mere expansion of state power.
The Grand Conclusion: Government is a necessary burden created by a social contract. Its purpose is to provide the absolute security required for life, the justice required for liberty, and the virtuous framework required for a community to flourish, all while remaining limited enough to ensure the “servants” never become “masters” and the “bee” is never crushed by the “beehive” (Marcus Aurelius). Ultimately, government is a “Glorious Liberty Document” as Frederick Douglass famously described the Constitution, put into practice. It is a necessary structure created by a community to secure the natural rights of its members, moderate their conflicts, and pool their resources to build a society where “Real Liberty” can flourish without turning into “Despotism.” As George Washington demonstrated by his retirement as President, its most vital role is to remain limited, ensuring that no single servant ever becomes a master. No Kings!
