# The Roll of Government

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roll-of-government/238725>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 7, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roll-of-government/238725 "2004-04-07T12:41:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-roll-of-government/238725/21 "2004-04-08T14:14:34Z")

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> [@akennett](#):
>
> Well, sure, that’s the approved answer. But do you really think that is the consensus of all Americans of differing political stripes?

The main argument among Americans is not whether the U.S. government exists for that reason, but how well the government is doing in fulfilling its reason for existence.

> [@](#):
>
> For example, I find it hard to swallow that a country that allows abortion can say that the role of government is to secure the unalieniable right to life.

That depends on what your definition of “the unalienable right to life” is. Is the paramount priority to allow every fertilized egg to develop to its full potential, or is the priority to allow an adult woman to be able to choose how to deal with intimate decisions about her own body?

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