What is the role of government?

[rumpel]

Stepping back and looking at many of the problems we are confronting, and looking at the functions of the various segments of our government and other governments, this is a question I have been thinking of posting for many months now. Just some recent examples: FEMA was created in principle to respond and offer aid in large regional disasters that can not be handled by local governments, and yet the branches of government sharply veered off it's original intent, principles and responsibilities. Paid for by your tax dollars, to help those of us in distress, (tomorrow it may be me) then why do we watch the extraordinary suffering on MSM, and the suffering is still ongoing.
Healthcare, as we have seen, veering off it's original intent, has been diverted to be a profit machine for a handful of corporations, albeit this policy has now obviously bitten other industries in the butt ( see "Big 3 Find More Level Playing Field Abroad", I posted earlier) The legal system, which is supposed to be fair, has been tampered with (industry vis a vis individual, detainees etc) Defense, this country pours so much money into the defense system, with which we could feed and house the entire global population probably many times over, which funds, if used wisely could in fact help the suffering of many and a chance for peace.
To be honest, I think taxes, (originally created for the collective good and use) being paid into managing this country are being mismanaged, policies are being made each year to lessen the responsibilities of the government but increase the burden on each citizen. Why do we even have FEMA, when a president and former presidents urge it's citizens to donate generously to private organizations to do the work of FEMA. So what is our government doing, what do the people regardless of whether voted in or appointed think are their responsibilities?

I would like to get a feel of what DU'ers perceive in general of what is an ideal government, what are the responsibilities of the branches and agencies?
It is supposed to be "By The People For The People", however we have this sense of our own government to be and institution so powerful, remote and removed. However we, put the people to work "there", we give them the powers, we give them the funds to manage. It is our own collective creation.
I love the original principles and intent of this young country.

Let's say we go back to the drawing board. Just in broad simple terms, the following come to mind:

1) To be a neutral observer and administrator for society's many elements
2) To assure an equal footing for all it's citizens
3) To interact with the rest of the world on behalf of it's citizens, with the interest of All in mind
4) To be a responsible guardian of the land entrusted to it (including, security, resources and environment)

please add

[ThomWV]

1. Get Closer To Basics

You start at a point that is too specific. I think if you want to see the purpose of Government you have to do so at the level of a single simple definition of purpose. Then you can branch out to things like the 4 items you listed. By the way, this is only applicable to how I see the purpose of 'our' Government

So I would start with this:

It is the purpose of Government to codify and enforce the obligations we freely place on oursleves. This makes the Government the keeper and enforcer, but not the author, of the law.

[Trillo]

2. How about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"

Too general?

[dusmcj]

3. it's the result of thousands of years of human work on social organization

There are few things we really care about. Sex, Death, and how to get along are about it.

Government is the most recent notion of how to make "how to get along" work better. Previous steps along the way were: tribes, cults, codes of ethics/morals, etc.

Just pointing this out as a curative against the impulse currently so prevalent in this country to say "duhhhhhhh, da govament ain't working. trow da bums out." Because we forget that the government _is_ us, the people who populate it are our peers who have chosen to be our _servants_, and that if it isn't working, it's because we're sitting on our asses letting our lard grow and expecting someone else to take care of it. Government is the highest expression of millenia of hard work by people, many far smarter than ourselves, to keep us all sharing space while minimizing mayhem and suffering. It's not something to be disposed of, rather something to be celebrated for the purpose it serves, and to be perfected.

That said... (a lot of the below was already stated above)

Government is not here to regulate what we think, nor how we behave consensually.

Government is not here to establish codes of ethics, or desirable behavior patterns.

Government is here to prOscribe unacceptable behaviors, rather than prEscribe desired behaviors (and if you can't see the difference between the two, work with it until you do).

Government of nation states is here to ensure that when conflict exists between them, the Peoples of each are protected from aggression by the other.

Government is here to ensure that people in fact have equal access to opportunity, rather than it being a privilege conferred by social power structures. Since society is just another structure whose only purpose is to serve the interests of all the people. Hence the government's guarantee of respect for inherent rights extends beyond controlling the actions of government, to bounding the actions of the other estates of the nation, including business.

[ThomWV]

4. OK Then

I wish I could spell ....

Aristotle looked at the question. I am not a scholar, not by a long shot, but I do read a bit. When the question was looked at earlier than us here was the start.

First the relationship between man and woman was considered as the basis for all just Government. That was followed by the second tier, if you like, which was the family. Extended familys became kingdoms as identifiable governmental units. All this presuposed the reason for all this interaction and political communiion was was the continued at best or enhanced at least security for all. He went on from there but you'll have to read it for yourself. Or reread it if you were lucky enough to have been introduced to such things at school. I was not.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

5. Quite simple

Government should help us climb and catch us when we fall.