if the government made no laws /regulations would it exist?...no it would not.
what do laws and regulations do, they protect the rights of individuals, business, and the public at large, so the government is securing for the people their rights.
but all governments are not the u.s. and some governments suppress its people.
federalist 51 - If men were angels, no government would be necessary.
if man was an angel and did not seek to hurt his follow man we would not need any government because man could work out his problems with his follow man.
but man cannot and fight amongest themselves and that is the purpose of government
A family on its own braves the dangers of the unknown and reaches an unpopulated and unclaimed tract of land on the prairie with no other humans within a hundred miles. He sets up a homestead and farms the land. The only 'government' that exists for that family are the rules set by the adults of the family and the expectations the members put on each other.
A second family moves into the area and there is sharing back and forth, mutual management of livestock, etc. And there is an understanding that each will respect the other's property, and help the other out when needed. This is the beginning of social contract.
As more farmers and ranchers move into the area they also work things out with their neighbors and become part of the informal social contract
Finally there are enough people to support a general store selling groceries, feed, fabric, tools, etc. Then a blacksmith sets up shop. Somebody opens a small café. And a town is created that attracts merchants delivering products and wares to the businesses and there is a market for a small hotel and livery stable.
But with increased population comes some increased mischief and a lure for thieves and such. As a practical matter, the towns folks and farmers get together and agree to hire a town constable to check on properties and deal with trouble makers. Then they form a volunteer fire department. In time the town grows to where a shared water system becomes prudent. They work out a system of shared roads. And they mutually agree to hire a mayor to oversee and manage the shared services and a clerk to receive the necessary revenues, register deeds to properties, issue marriage licenses, etc. A judge is elected to settle suits and hear legal proceedings.
All this is done by social contract; i.e. a mutual agreement by which a society organizes itself and conducts its affairs. The government is fully the servant of and responsive to the needs of the people and does not have authority to make things happen on its own. In time the town would be incorporated and become part of the larger network of communities and the state.
When American government at the federal, state, and local level operated under the social contract concept--the Constitution for instance was a social contract for the mutual benefit of all--the government recognized and protected, as much as it could, the people's natural rights. And the government did not tread on those rights.
But once the government was seen as its own entity and was allowed authority to pick winners and losers, favor one group over another, and make laws those in government wanted to have, we have had increasing violations of our natural rights ever since. If the trend continues, we will be just another European country where the government assigns the people whatever rights it wants them to have and the people have little or no say at all in that.
