n ubiquity only by the flag, the symbol of national unity and
strength. But though not noticeably exercised, the power of the nation
is very real. There is no power to dispute its legislation and the
decisions of its tribunals. No one dares refuse to contribute to its
revenues, whether excise tax or import duties. No one is unaware that
a very real nation exists.

320. =The Social Nature of the Nation.=--In thinking of the nation it
is natural to consider its power as a state, but other functions
belong to it as a social unit that are no less important. Its general
function is not so much to govern as to promote the general welfare.
The social nature of national organization is well expressed in the
preamble to the national Constitution: "We the people of the United
States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote
the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves
and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America." The general welfare is a somewhat vague
term, but it includes all the interests of the people, and so
indicates the scope of the national function.

321. =The Economic Function.=--The nation has an economic function. It
is its business to encourage trade by means that seem most likely to
help, whether by subsidies, tariffs, or expert advice; to protect all
producers, distributers, and consumers by just laws and tribunals, so
that unfair privileges shall not be enjoyed by the few at the expense
of the many, and to provide in every legitimate way for the spread of
information and for experimentation that agriculture, mining, and
manufacturing may be improved. Evidences of the attempt of the United
States to measure up to these responsibilities are the various tariffs
that have been established for protection as well as revenue, the
interstate and trade commissions that exist for the regulation of
business, and the individuals and boards that are maintained for
acquiring and disseminating information relating to all kinds of
economic interests. The United States Patent Office encourages
invention, and American inventors outnumber those of other nations.
The United States Department of Agriculture employs many experimenters
and expert agents and even distributes seeds of a good quality, in
order that one of the most important industries of the American people
may