American Government Study Guide

©2020 Page 11 of 32 upon them. These two jobs can sometimes come into con�lict with one another, so achieving domestic tranquility can be quite the daunting task. Lastly, to maintain domestic tranquility, the government must provide opportunities for its citizens to make a living to survive in society. People that lack opportunity will not live in harmony with those that have opportunity. When people can take care of themselves and their family, they are more con- tent in life and can coexist peacefully with other citizens. 2.3 Provide for the Common Defense As a nation that needed to make a stronger central government than that of the Articles of Confeder- ation, the creation of the United States Constitution needed to include national provisions for an army to protect the nation. When the Articles of Confederation was the plan of government for the United States, each state acted as the defender of its own territory. In the new constitution, provisions needed to be in place to pro- tect the nation as a whole instead of requiring each state to provide its own military to �ight foreign invaders. A federal army e nsures that no state can sit out of foreign con�lict or come into con�lict with others countries or states. The main goal is a uni�ied force that represents the whole of a nation, without taking away what it means to be a state. The legislative branch is given charge to raise an army and navy, which will be expanded later after the constitution. 2.4 Promote the General Welfare Another goal of the Preamble to the Constitution was to promote the general welfare for the public. The welfare is measured by the physical well-being of individuals, economic prosperity, and a satis- �ied desire of being involved in the political process. There are many issues that individual deal with where they might turn to their government for assis- tance. The federal government needed to have some oversight in helping those that are in need. As time has moved forward, government’s role has expanded in this area as needs have increased over time. The government also needs to provide assistance during dif�icult economic times as well as help to stimulate growth within the economy to allow others to capitalize on opportunities to make a living. A prosperous economy directly correlates to the general welfare of the nation. Achieve Test Prep