Can we publish this essay? AY 2011-2012 I suspect that my government will not do the right thing; I hope they protect me.National Security StudiesWILLIAM KURTZDANIEL P CORBIN, NH-4, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVYSEMINAR 13KELLY MORRIS, PRIMARY FACULTY ADVISORThe Industrial College of the Armed ForcesNational Defense UniversityFort McNair, Washington, DC 20319-5062The opinions expressed in this document are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government. Introduction I distrust my government and firmly believe that, left to its own devices, it will not do the right thing. However, I believe more firmly in the system that empowers me and my fellow citizens to control, influence, and remove that government whether through voting or by means otherwise contemplated by the Founding Fathers and implicitly granted by the Constitution. Based on this mistrust, can they protect me? The United States has become the most powerful nation in the world by the most recognized measures. The strength of this country comes from... middle of paper... things the President deems necessary for the nation's defense and security. The theory of our government is that the will of the people will prevail over the power of the government; this is only appropriate if all participants know what they are doing. All things considered, I believe the strengths outweigh the weaknesses. So can the government protect me? It can do this if I remain informed, engaged and active in government's pursuit of doing the right thing. Works Cited Aaron L. Friedberg, In the Shadow of the Garrison State: America's Anti-Statism and its Cold War Grand Strategy (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000), 63. Clinton Rossiter, ed., The Federalist Papers (New York: New American Library, 2003), 546. Jerel A. Rosati and James A. Scott, The Politics of United States Foreign Policy (Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011) , 329-338.