Introduction Democracy demands that individuals and states respect each other to ensure there is peaceful coexistence between them. America is considered to be the most democratic country in the world because of the smooth leadership transitions. Political campaigns in this country are characterized by mature debates based on issues that affect the lives of Americans. The election of Barrack Obama as the 44 th president of the United States of America symbolized a break away from racism and highlighted the need to offer individuals equal opportunities to develop America. The federal government has various responsibilities that ensure the lives of Americans are protected and their living standards improved. This paper examines the roles of the federal government in protecting Americans’ freedoms. Definition A federal government is a body in a state that has laws that govern the conduct of leaders, citizens, institutions and foreigners living in a country. America is a sovereign state and thus it has a federal government that ensures the rights and freedoms of Americans are protected against abuse from leaders, institutions, foreigners and citizens (Gruenewald 2011). This government has strong central powers that control the freedoms and rights of every person within its national boundaries. Freedoms are the powers given to people by their states or natural provisions that enable them to act, speak or think the way they want without being restricted by others or institutions. The federal government of the United States must ensure all rights of its citizens are protected from abuse at all costs through the following ways. How Different Groups of People Define Freedom for Themselves People have different definitions depending on how they think about themselves. First, human right activities believe that freedom is an individual’s ability to express his or her opinion so that the person can live a comfortable life. For instance, people should be allowed to demonstrate and express their dissatisfaction in the way public affairs are managed. This group of people believes that workers have the right to demonstrate to demand better salaries and good working conditions. The second group of people believes that freedom is the ability to be allowed to do what one wants without restrictions (Jacobs 2011). Youths believe that their parents should give them freedom to choose their careers, friends and leisure activities. They think that their rights are usually violated when parents demand that they must do what they are told and not what they think is right. For example, some youths believe that they should watch television or movies in the evenings because they have had a busy day. However, their parents think that this is not good because children are supposed to do their homework and assist in domestic chores. Therefore, youths think that their freedoms are curtailed when they are not allowed to do what they want. The third group of people thinks that freedom is the ability to move away from oppressive social, cultural and political systems. For instance, women believe that affirmative action will free them from male dominance in the society. They think that traditions and stereotypes have classified them as weak, incompetent and ignorant. Therefore, they are unable to serve in major positions in the society and thus their involvement i