Philosophers have struggled to determine the proper role of government. In the absence of government and laws, people could do whatever they wanted, and some of them tried to massacre others and steal their property. This is the state called anarchy. People realized that in such a state the safety of the population and the country would be in danger. Therefore, it is necessary for a country to have a government and/or a ruler. However, a ruler must not have absolute power nor be without authority. But protecting people and country alone is not enough for a country to thrive. The property and natural rights of people and government must also be protected. Therefore, the proper role of government is to protect the natural rights of the people, their property, and the people themselves. A ruler should be neither too powerful nor too weak, and should assert his legitimacy by his willingness and ability to protect his people, their properties and their natural rights. First, if a ruler had absolute power, he would tend to use it to his own advantage at the expense of the interests of his people. The Declaration of Independence provides a broad overview of King George III's misdeeds. “For imposing taxes [on the people of the American colonies] without consent: […][King George III] has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our cities, and destroyed the lives of our people.” King George III was a despot, wielding all power, mistreating the American colonies, and taxing them heavily and extensively to amass wealth for his crown. As a result, the American colonies rebelled and sought independence. On the other hand, a ruler should not lack authority over the people, because he would not be able to protect... middle of paper... and could not do anything he wanted. Like all absolute rulers, he abused his power and hurt the people, in this case by killing people who opposed him. When a rebellion formed to attack the absolute ruler and his supporters, the ruler failed to protect his people and property. In fact, the ruler bombed people and killed everyone in his own way, challenging the idea that a ruler should protect his people. Therefore, a country can only be successful if it has a capable government and/or ruler who follows the ideas described above. Work cited "Code of Hammurabi, circa 1750 BC" DISCovering World History. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Network. March 7. 2015.