A Government Has a Responsibility to its Citizens to Ensure Their Safety- IELTS Writing Task 2

A government has a responsibility to its citizens to ensure their safety. Therefore, some people think that the government should increase spending on defense but spend less on social benefits. To what extent do you agree?

Outline

Essay Type

Opinion essay

Introduction

• State your opinion clearly (whether you agree or disagree). Explain in brief what you are going to write in the body of your essay.

Body Paragraphs:

• Paragraph 1: Military investment cannot come at the price of social spending since social welfare is just as important for a country’s survival as a military force.
• Paragraph 2: If healthcare funding is reduced, life-saving procedures and treatments will become unaffordable.

Conclusion

Restate your opinion in clear and direct sentences.

Sample Essay

The fundamental responsibility of the state is to safeguard its residents from many threats. As a result, some suggest that the government should allocate a large portion of its financial resources to the defense industry while cutting back on social welfare spending. However, I disagree with this idea, and in the following paragraphs, I shall elaborate on my viewpoint.

Military investment cannot come at the price of social spending since social welfare is just as important for a country’s survival as a military force. The government is responsible for ensuring that everyone has access to fundamental human necessities such as food, housing, and health care. The state should improve its people’s living conditions and make them happy and satisfied by assisting the most vulnerable segments of society through different initiatives.

If healthcare funding is reduced, life-saving procedures and treatments will become unaffordable. Additionally, the most vulnerable members of society would suffer without social benefit programs such as retirement plans, disability assistance, or subsidized housing. This can breed discontent among the socially disadvantaged and spark a social movement against the state. Moreover, because they pay taxes to the government, people are entitled to benefits. This problem impacts not just the poor but even middle-class residents.

However, governments can ensure that their populations live peacefully and harmoniously by increasing defense spending. Rising defense spending will improve military infrastructure and supply soldiers with high-quality weaponry. As a result, foreign nations will think twice before invading their neighbors.

To recapitulate, the state should prioritize residents’ well-being as much as their protection, and cutting social welfare spending to increase military spending is necessary. Still, it would do more harm than good.

Vocabulary

• Allocate

Meaning (verb): distribute (resources or duties) for a particular purpose.
Eg: The manager allocated the funds for the improvement of working conditions.

• Vulnerable

Meaning (adj): exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
Eg: Children are vulnerable to skin diseases.

• Initiative 

Meaning (noun): the ability to assess and initiate things independently.
Eg: The initiatives taken by the government to curb covid cases are commendable.

• Breed 

Meaning (noun): a stock of animals or plants within a species having a distinctive appearance and typically having been developed by deliberate selection.
Eg: A new breed of athletes is expected to join the team.

• Entitled

Meaning (adj): believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.
Eg: Nobody is entitled to physically abuse anyone.

• Ensure 

Meaning (verb): make certain that (something) will occur or be the case.
Eg: Please ensure to keep the environment clean.

• Harmoniously

Meaning (adverb): with harmony of sound; tunefully.
Eg: Development programs are being conducted in the company to ensure employees work harmoniously.

• Invading

Meaning (verb): (of an armed force) enter (a country or region) so as to subjugate or occupy it.
Eg: She hesitated, a dark thought invading her apology.

• Prioritize 

Meaning (verb): designate or treat (something) as being very or most important.
Eg: The team leader asked the team to prioritize client deliverables at the next meeting.

• Recapitulate 

Meaning (verb): summarize and state again the main points of.
Eg: After a head argument, John started to recapitulate his actions.