Purpose of Goverment

I start with the premise that government should protect it's citizen's rights and help those who cannot help themselves. If we accept that we get:

• Furnish an army for the protection of the country
  
• Establish laws that protect it's citizens and enforce those laws
  
• By way of protecting it's citizens, allow that citizen's rights not be violated
  
• Assist the mentally retarded or ill, the severely handicapped and any other citizens who are unable to provide for themselves by working
• Provide necessary services that the private sector cannot supply. What these services are is subject to debate, but education, public transit and other infrastructure requirements would be likely candidates.
• Artificially alter the free market only when the private sector fails, and this failure precipitates the failure of the society.
  

And should not get (which are all wrong because the government exploits it's two abilities):

• Establishing laws that take away from the citizen's freedoms or that endanger the welfare of the society
  
• Elevate matters of courtesy or respect to the level of right
  
• Impose restrictions on one citizen's rights in the effort of giving a right to another citizen
  
• Assisting those that can assist themselves, such as those who make poor choices, those who are lazy, and those who are unjust.
  
• Provide services that the private sector can provide or provide services are unnecessary for the functioning of a well received society.
• Artificially alter the free market when the private sector has not failed in order to help the less fortunate, to harm the most fortunate or to in any way favor or harm a select group.
• Artificially alter the free market when the private sector has failed, but this failure does not pose the threat of failure to the society.
  

Maybe my logic is flawed, but if you accept the first premise as both true and complete, the first and second conclusion seems inevitable. I'm not sure how you would alter the premise, or more likely add to it but I would love to hear how others would, because the conclusions admittedly espouse a conservative approach to government.