What are The Purposes of our Government?

"The age-old debate over different conceptions of the good does not have to create partisanship and gridlock.  In the tradition of Aristotle, the "good" of anything is derived from the function of that thing.  The function of a clock, for instance, is to keep time.  One clock is better than another to the extent that it keeps time more accurately.  So if we can agree on a function for our government, we should be able to approach a concept for good that is neutral enough for the purpose of avoiding partisan gridlock.  The preamble to our Constitution offers just such a statement of purpose for our government."  

​Stephen P Tryon, Accountability Citizenship, XLibris 2013, p. x, 

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