Purpose of Government

Purpose of Government

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Government

A government makes laws. Laws help a community in a few ways.

   *Laws keep a community safe. For example, there are laws about using fireworks. Those laws help keep people safe from fires.

   *Laws help people work together. How? Think about a team sport like soccer. The rules tell the players how to play together. For example, rules say which team should get the ball when it goes out of bounds. Laws work the same way in a community. Laws can tell people how to work together and settle disagreements.

A government also enforces laws, or makes sure people follow them.

Laws

Laws are rules made by the government. Laws often help keep people safe. Here are some examples of laws.

  *You may not drive faster than the speed limit.

   *You may not cross the street when the light is red.

   *Your dog must be on a leash in this park.

   *You may not steal things.

Enforce the Law

Police officers enforce laws. Many police officers work for cities, counties, or states.Police officers do many different things. Here are some of the things they can do:

   *walk or drive around to make sure that people stay safe

   *help people who are in trouble

   *solve crimes and catch people who break laws

   *make sure people drive safely

   *work in schools to help students and teachers solve problems

The Court System

The court system helps decide whether a person has broken a law. Sometimes, a judge will decide. A judge is the person in charge of a court.

Other times, a jury will decide. In the United States, a jury is usually a group of twelve people. The members of a jury will listen to both sides. Then, as a group, the jury will decide whether the person broke the law.

Government Run Services

In the United States, the government runs many services. Those services include:

 fire departments 

libraries

public schools

the postal service.

Government helps build...

In the United States, the government helps build public structures like:

roads

bridges

parks. 

A public structure is something that anyone in the community can use.

Government Money

The money for government services usually comes from taxes. Taxes are payments that people make to the government. Taxes are a way for a community to pay for something together.

There are many different kinds of taxes. For example, you pay sales tax when you buy something. You pay income tax when you earn money.

Government Roles

The government of the United States has many jobs. Here are some of those jobs:

   *Keeping people safe from attacks. The government controls the military. The military defends the country.

   *Making laws and making sure people follow them. Laws are meant to keep people safe.

   *Building things like roads and bridges. Roads and bridges are things that anyone in the community can use.