The Purpose of Government social studies lesson for kids
The Purpose of Government social studies lesson for kids - social studies skills studied in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th grades.
Every government has a purpose. The Constitution of the United States of America explains that there are six separate reasons why we have the American government. These are unity, justice, domestic tranquility, defense, promotion of the general welfare of citizens, and securing liberty for all.
A game on the goverment and its different roles
Unity means that we have one unified system. Our country is the United States of America; we are united under one government called the federal government. These means that there are laws that govern the whole country and apply to everybody. Even though there are also state laws, federal law is the highest authority. Being under one government and one set of laws helps make sure that life across the United States is more or less the same. Continue reading below>>>
Justice means that the government helps decide what laws exist. There has to be one authority to decide what the law is and what punishment exists for breaking the law. This means that the government is also responsible for making sure that when someone commits a crime, they either go to jail or pay a fine, or are given another way of making up for their crime, such as repairing damage that they caused.
The third purpose of government is domestic tranquility. This means that the government needs to make sure that there is no fighting among citizens and that order and peace exist. An example of this is the police force. Police make sure that citizens live in peace and that towns and cities operate in an orderly fashion so that people can live happily and safely.
The fourth purpose, defense, refers to the military. The government must make sure that the country is safe and that there is a way for people to be protected if there is ever a war. For this reason, the government is in charge of the military, which in the United States has four branches: the Army (protecting us on land), the Navy (protecting us on the ocean), the Air Force (protecting us in the air) and the Coast Guard (making sure our coasts and borders are secure).
The promotion of the general welfare of citizens means making sure that citizens are safe and have what they need to live. Some examples of this include making sure that there are good, safe roads so that everyone can all get where they need to go without danger, and making sure that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law, so that no one is treated better because they have more money or power.
The last point, securing liberty for all, means that the government must make sure that all people have basic freedoms. This means making sure that anyone can say what they want, follow what religion they want, and have the opportunity to work and make a happy life for themselves. No one gets better treatment than anyone else.
These six tenets are the cornerstones of government in the United States. Their goal is to make sure that people can live in freedom, safety, and peace.