I became interested in this after another debate where I disagreed over what the ideal "purpose" of governments is. I think if we had a good communication on this, it could help us all understand where each other are coming from more clearly; often I think disagreements of whether a governments actions are good stem from a deeper disagreement on this issue.
For me, personally, I think the job of a government is to create the highest possible standard of living for it's citizens. A constitution's purpose is to decide the limits on what actions can be employed towards this goal, i.e. which freedoms can be limited, and which are inviolable.
"The Daemon lied with every breath. It could not help itself but to deceive and dismay, to riddle and ruin. The more we conversed, the closer I drew to one singularly ineluctable fact: I would gain no wisdom here."
Gender: Male Location: Welfare Kingdom of California
Well, the purpose is very obvious...you establish a social contract between yourself and the community. However, I don't think you would like the community telling how to run your business, buy a home, get a car, or spend your money. As a citizen you will abide but not be dictate...that's as simple as I can put it.
__________________ Recently Produced and Distributed Young but High-Ranking Political Figure of Royal Ancestry within the Modern American Town Affectionately Referred To as Bel-Air.
The purpose of Government is social control and, as was stated, administration.
__________________ "Every daring attempt to make a great change in existing conditions, every lofty vision of new possibilities for the human race, has been labeled Utopian."
I agree the government could be somewhat smaller. It has entire departments and numerous agencies that could and should be eliminated, or at least downsized.
But what do you mean by less power? And who gets said power? Elaborate please.
__________________ There are more humans in the world than rats.
__________________ "Every daring attempt to make a great change in existing conditions, every lofty vision of new possibilities for the human race, has been labeled Utopian."
It's a great question; one that has been debated for thousands of years. Here in America we like to pretend we knew what it meant, despite the use of terms like more-perfect in the founding documents we like to wave in front of others to make ourselves feel superior and shame them all at the same time.
What ever definition is agreed upon by the majority in this thread, it does not have to mean that 1% deserves the finite resources and wealth of the other 99%. This is not to say that all people have to be equal in their desperation or oppulance; but that no one merrits desperation because of accident of birth or at the expense of theorhetical intellect and/or labor.