For what reasons do people form governments?

Answer 1

When a few people live together it's quite easy to resolve conflicts and etablish rules to get along. When a large group has similar questions and issues it can become a big problem.

The way i see it, there are several reasons to form a government.

1. Protection from outside threats.

2. Provide laws enforcement and punishments. (protection from each other.)

3. Provide security for those that can't be self sufficient (help the weak and helpless)

I'll elaborate.

1. Outside threats.

Say you live in a nice valley in the mountains and the Roman Empire is marching to conquer the world straight through your little valley. You can oppose them alone because you don't stand a chance. If you and your neighbors all got together with your shovels, pitch forks and torches, you may hold them off for a few minutes. The Roman Army is a trained unit and is well organized. To protect your life and property you'd better have a group of well trained and well organized warriors. Now you have an army to protect you. But who feed the warriors? who provides the training? We all pool a portion of our resources (taxes) together to provide an army. Some may say there are no more Romans to attack, Why do we still need an army? There will always be some power hungry guy out there who would raise an army against you if you didn't already have protection in place.

Diplomacy. If the river that flows though your valley also runs through someone else's valley they may have a problem with your new Idea to dam the river to make a swimming pool. They need the water for crops but you want to swim. The governments of your two lands may sit down together and work out a compromise. you give them food to eat and they wont need the water. A win Win.

2.Provide laws.

So you worked out the whole swimming pool thing but now your neighbor is using the lake to wash his undies! You done want to swim in undies water but he doesn't like swimming anyway so he just want clean drawers. The government could make a law that states anybody cleaning up their BVD's in a public pool has to do a bazillion pull-ups. Your neighbor can't do pull-ups very well. May be one or two but that's it. So the government sets a lifeguard at the pool to make sure your neighbor doesn't sneak in and do his laundry while you're diving for quarters at the bottom. If he does, the life guard sends him off to fat camp till he can do his pull-ups.

3. Welfare. this one is always a hot topic. Who gets help, how much do they get, who pays for it. It is necessary, but good luck working out the details.

OR

1. form a more perfect union

2. establish justice

3. insure domestic tranquility

4. provide for the common defense

5. promote the general welfare

6. secure the blessings of liberty

Answer 2

People form governments to provide the things that they need and can not do as individuals or as small groups. John Adams wrote that "the purpose of government was to see to the happiness of people and therefore that the form of government was best which produced the greatest amount of happiness for the largest number. And since all sober inquirers of truth agreed that happiness derived from virtue, that form of government with virtue as its foundation was more likely than any other to promote the general happiness.' I think he said it very well and that as a society we have lost this thinking.

Answer 3

To establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty.

Government is needed because it is the institution through which the people are able to maintain order, provide public services, and enforce decisions that are binding on all members of society. Without a government, the basic rights of the people might not be protected. As the Declaration states, governments are instituted in order to protect the rights of all people, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments also protect the nation from foreign or domestic enemies. And the government protects the nation from attack from abroad or from within the nation's boundaries.

Answer 4

People form governments for many different reasons. These people form governments so that they can be more powerful and stand up for their rights for example.