Of course, being the strongest nation on earth brings with it plenty of duties. The U.S. Armed Forces examines the lengths to which the United States has gone to offer assistance to neighboring and allied nations. Today, the United States, along with other international bodies, helps to keep the peace around the globe while defending its own borders and interests.

The delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 to write the Constitution had two purposes in mind: They wanted to establish a strong central authority and to limit that centvul authority's capacity to abuse its power.

The series YOUR GOVERNMENT: HOW IT WORKS provides an in-depth examination of our government and its processes and makes clear how our informed partici-pation is crucial to government's serving both the individual and the American people as a whole.