What is the role of government?

I don't mean to mitigate Devin's post on immigration by posting so soon afterwards, but since Nic's first comment I have been thinking a lot about the role of government, and what it should be. Mostly this post is in response to this comment by Nic "As with most issues, I believe that problems can be solved best by getting government out of the picture and leaning toward liberty." I am not attacking Nic, merely this comment has caused me to think about what role government should play, so Nic, you should more take this is a compliment. I had a simple response in the next comment that I made; " I think we just differ philosophically on the role of government so we probably won't ever totally agree on anything, which is fine." Since then I've spent a lot of time thinking about what the world would be like with less government "intrusion," and it's caused me to ponder where the best balance might lie. Please respond with your disagreements, I'm sure they'll be many.

1. Foremost in my mind is the issue of slavery. Now I know Nic believes in liberty, freedom, so obviously I'm assuming he doesn't believe in slavery. But without government intrusion under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, would we not still theoretically have slavery in the South? Therefore I believe it is the role of government to protect the God-given, inalienable rights promised by the constitution, that the minority may not have power to protect itself. So my question to Nic (and anyone else), is it the role of government to ensure freedom for all citizens is maximized, or are we to govern ourselves?

2. I believe in government regulation. For example, the food you eat has come from strict standards enforced by the FDA to ensure maximum quality and safety. The water you drink has been treated under safety parameters, set out by the government, to make sure you and your families don't drink water infected with pathogens. Would these systems be better based purely on competing companies with no government regulation? Would our food and water be safe to eat and drink? Based on my experience in Peru, where there seems to be less regulation, the answer is no.

I had a few more to list but I think you get my point. I believe government exists to ensure fairness, equality (including equal opportunities), create and enforce law by popular consent, provide for the defense of our country, and to regulate consumer products and services to ensure quality, fairness, safety, and effectiveness. I agree that government often oversteps their bounds with misguided spending (mainly deficit spending) and occasionally creates laws that don't necessarily reflect the values of the constitution. But overall I think the government does a pretty good job at the things I mentioned. I am interested to hear what you think the role of government is, or is not. I am open to changing my viewpoints.