Should The Government Uphold Their Duty Research Paper

In order for a society to function properly, both the government and the individual must uphold their end of their duties. If one side fails to do so, an imbalance in society results. The functioning of a society is an equal balance between individual and government. The individual is responsible for paying taxes, voting, joining or supporting the military, and obeying laws. While the government is responsible for using tax money beneficially, protecting rights, protecting citizens, and enforcing laws. One main obligation that the individual has to its government is to pay taxes. Taxes are necessary because they allow for things that most could not purchase for themselves, “such as, fire protection, schools, roads, and much more” (Civics).

While the right to vote is a core foundation of democracy, an uninformed voter could be more detrimental to the government than a person who does not vote at all. Rasmussen Reports found “that 90% of likely U.S. voters think voters in countries with democratically elected governments have a responsibility to be informed about major policy issues.” While the majority of those surveyed held this view, the same survey showed that, “83% think Americans are not informed voters.” With that percentage of uninformed voters, it makes it hard for the government to uphold their duty to preserve the citizen’s rights. If the people are making uninformed decisions when electing their representatives, it’s possible that those elected could make choices that would strip the individual’s rights. The government is expected to ensure everyone has what the Declaration of Independence calls the “unalienable rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of

In Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address he urges the people gathered there to support the cause and efforts of the men that had fought on that battlefield in order to ensure they did not die in vain. The Bill of Rights, in the Second Amendment, also states that a “well regulated militia” is “necessary to the security of a free state.” Without support and enlistment in the military, the government would not be able unhold its duty to protect the country and its individuals. "The first duty of the Government is to afford protection to its citizens,” according to Representative Farnsworth, a speaker at 2nd session of the 39th Congress at the Congressional Globe. The Constitution states we have both the right to life and the right to security (On the