What does provide for the common defense''mean?

Answer 1

"To provide for the common defense" is a simple but meaningful phrase in the US Constitution. It signifies one of the main reasons that the individual states are bonding together into a union: to provide an effective military force to protect all of the states together (as divergent to each state fielding its own military to protect itself separately). This means that the government will provide all of the necessary things for the nation's defense. Such as: Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, etc. to protect the Americans from foreign enemies. I understand the phrase, "to provide for the common defense", to mean that the government will guarantee protection to the states, territories, and to all of the citizens/residents thereof in the event of conflict with any foreign nation.