Is the purpose of government for safety or happiness?

Nope, government is for control. Control of whatever society's paramer the ruling elite wishes to control. Be it $, bedroom, marriage, food, whatever.

The correct purpose is to do for the people what they cannot do for themselves. i.e public schools, police, fire, military, roads, ect.

So what's the overall goal?
Schools, police, fire, military provide protection against foreign force/culture.
Government is not simpy for control, otherwise we would never have entered it to begin with. There's a greater purpose behind government, that I think all the governed must buy into. What is it?

Cato hit it on the head. Somethings groups can just not do by themselves.

Government is much more then that, government has a key role of protecting a class. In Liberal Democracies largely it protects the elite class being the bourgeoisie, and class compromise btwn the two classes. Government exists to moderate class divisions, and that’s why the US government is failing. It is shifting the tax burden to those who cannot afford it, and serious problems will occur as a end result.

Government isn't created by "tax burden" and "class division," government creates class division and taxes.

But for what purpose, what goal?
I think government's purpose is to protect people from eachother, and to keep the most people happy. How do you keep the most people happy? By leveling the playing field, making unequal individuals more equal.

Government is much more then that, government has a key role of protecting a class.That's not why government exists. That's what people have abused government to pormote.

Which government?

The historical purpose of 'government' is to rule the people. Benevolent or Malevolent depends on a great many factors.

Control is as good an answer as any. Safety? Happiness? Sure and aspect of gov't is to secure it's borders, and promote enough contentment that the masses do not rebel. But current Gov't establishes the rule of law, and makes up those laws to further the ability to rule the people. Invariably this leads to a suck up to this power structure whereby a quid pro quo among the elite occurs. A current problem with the US system is that powerful interests outside of accountable gov't set the rules and there is no method of changing this.

But every gov't that becomes pro-gov, and less pro-people (the very reason why gov'ts exist) has collapsed.

the point in a government is to ensure safety and well being for all. but when capitalism getsn to extremes like america it does the exact opposite. a true government must be if not totally communist, at least will to restrict capitalism so that no-one is pushed too far below the norm

That's not why government exists. That's what people have abused government to pormote.

Yes that is the reason why it exists. The Government has always been about one class over another. The reason d'etre of many goverments has been to entrench the interests of the few, or the many. The earliest gov'ts weren't democracies, they were created to insulate the few. Modern governments should try to moderate class warfare through taxes so the elite can still maintain power without fearing a revolution.

Government isn't created by "tax burden" and "class division," government creates class division and taxes.

Tax burden correct government creates that, but class division exists prior to the formation of a government. (Hobbes and the state of nature explains how the powerful will become the powers).

Also the thread did not ask, modern government or government in general, democratic, capitalist, corporatist, communist, etc?

Q: What's the purpose of Government?
A: To direct and control the masses, for better or worse

effect in reality?

class division exists prior to the formation of a government
Then the only real class division is between the powerful and unpowerful?
Then why did the unpowerful decide to get yoked with civilization and poverty?

You cynical communist snobs.