Read this outline for an argumentative essay about government. 1. People have different ideas about the role of government. A. The primary purpose of government is to provide social services. 2. Government should provide services for people who are poor or elderly. A. Government can effectively provide the services that poor and elderly people need. B. Food stamps keep people from going hungry. C. Medicare and Medicaid provide health care. D. Some people believe social services are an entitlement and not a right, but many people could not survive without them. 3. Government’s main role is provide to social services, such as food stamps. The underlined sentence in the outline is the claim. conclusion. counterclaim.