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Seth Holt

History 10

Period 2

November 13, 2018

The Foundational Relationship of Our Society

Every time an election is eminent, ads and propositions flooding our radio and

television systems, it’s not hard to forget that our society is built on the stable two-way

relationship between civilians and the government system. Both sides have to have a

mutual trust and respect to provide the composite society we live in today. The

government is sometimes seen as a process that’s dishonest or a discriminatory mass

anarchy of sorts, and to this I agree partly, but, nevertheless, we must acknowledge the

fact that the government is necessary for each person to achieve their best life and to

protect the rights of every person, but in return, to be a member of society, you have to

be a law-abiding citizen.

In order for the mutual relationship between the government and the citizens to

stay strong, the government has to provide the necessary opportunities to provide their

best life. For instance, people without Healthcare or health insurance are 40% more at

risk of death than people with it (Sanigest Internacional, 2018), and 91.2% of people in

the U.S. were covered by Healthcare for all or part of 2016 (US Census, 2018), but, in

America, the government isn’t doing their job. Public transit is another great example of

opportunities the government provides. Not only is it a $68 million industry that has
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employed over 420,000 people, but in 2017, Americans took more than 10.1 billion trips

on public transportation (APTA, 2018). Another example of how the government

provides opportunities to achieve your best life is education. “​According to a national

report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (sheeo.org), high

school graduates earn an average of almost $30,000 per year. Bachelor's graduates

earn an average of just over $50,000 a year. Education is critical to the advancement of

all citizens, and the government provides us with this. It’s been proven that those with a

higher level degree (master's, doctorate or professional) average nearly $70,000 per

year” (Education Corner, 2018).

The second reason why the government is important to the structure of a society

is that the government protects the rights of every person. The Bill of Rights is an exact

example of this. The Bill of Rights quite literally states every right that the government

has to protect, including freedom of speech and homeland security. The Declaration of

Independence states and ensures the protection of the three unalienable rights: Life,

Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness. The United States Constitution states how the

government will be structured and how it will work.

The government provides countless opportunities for the people, but in return,

the people have to follow the laws that the government set out for them. If you don’t

follow the law, then you get a trial and the judge decides your fate based on the

constitutional rules.

The government has its perks and some things that could be improved, but it’s a

fact that the government is critical to the healthy relationship between the people and
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the government, and when the relationship between them is strong, then a stable

society is born.

Works Cited

“Benefits of Earning a College Degree.” ​Education Corner,​ 2018,

www.educationcorner.com/benefit-of-earning-a-college-degree.html.

Founding Fathers. “Constitution of the United States - We the People.” ​Constitution for

the United States - We the People​, The United States of America, 1787,

constitutionus.com/.

Jefferson, Thomas, et al. “Declaration of Independence: A Transcription.” ​National

Archives and Records Administration​, The United States of America, 1776,

www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript.

Madison, James. “Bill of Rights.” ​Bill of Rights Institute​, The United States, 1791,

billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/.

“Public Transportation Fatcs.” ​APTA​, 2018,

www.apta.com/mediacenter/ptbenefits/Pages/FactSheet.aspx.
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“Universal Health Care Would Save Americans $600 Billion A Year | Sanigest

Internacional.” ​Sanigest Internacional​, 2018,

sanigest.com/universal-health-care-would-save-americans-600-billion-a-year/.

US Census Bureau. “Library.” ​Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2016,​

25 July 2018, www.census.gov/library/publications/2017/demo/p60-260.html.