Question

Adam smith asserted that the first two duties of government are to_______

a. protect society from external harm and to prevent monopoly of violence.
b. protect society from external harm and to protect members from being harmed by their own members.
c. protect members from being harmed by their own members and to .
d. prevent monopoly of violence and to protect members from being harmed by their own members.

Answer 1

Adam Smith posited that the first two primary duties of the government are to protect society from external harm and to ensure that its members are not harmed by one another.

Step-by-step explanation:

Adam Smith asserted that the first two duties of government are to protect society from external harm and to protect members from being harmed by their own members.

This encapsulates the primary roles of the government in safeguarding the welfare of its people and upholding the rule of law. Smith's view aligns with the modern understanding of governmental functions which include providing public goods, ensuring economic freedom, and maintaining the delicate balance between liberty and order as defined by the social contract theories from philosophers like Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.