Government

A GOVERNMENT is the system by which a state or community is governed. In British English (and that of the Commonwealth of Nations), agovernment more narrowly refers to the particular executive in control of a state at a given time - known in American English as anadministration. In American English, government refers to the larger system by which any state is organized. Furthermore, government is occasionally used in English as a synonym for governance.

In the case of its broad definition, government normally consists of legislators, administrators, and arbitrators. Government is the means by which state policy is enforced, as well as the mechanism for determining the policy of the state. A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political systems and institutions that make up the organisation of a specific government.

States are served by a continuous succession of different governments. Each successive government is composed of a body of individuals who control and exercise control over political decision-making. Their function is to make and enforce laws and arbitrate conflicts. In some societies, this group is often a self-perpetuating or hereditary class. In other societies, such as democracies, the political roles remain, but there is frequent turnover of the people actually filling the positions.

Government of any kind currently affects every human activity in many important ways. For this reason, political scientists generally argue that government should not be studied by itself; but should be studied along with anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, science, andsociology.

Meaning

[COUNTABLE/UNCOUNTABLE] the people who control a country, region, or town and make decisions about its laws and taxes: followed by a singular or plural verb

The government has announced plans to raise theminimum wage next year.

a democratically elected government

under a government (=during the government of a particular party): 

Under the Conservativegovernment things were very different.

http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/government

GOVERNMENT is one of humanity’s oldest and most important institutions. From earliest times, some kind of government has been a vital part of every society. This is because every society needs some people to make and enforce decisions that affect conduct within the group. The term government also refers to the process of exercising power in a group.

Any formal or informal group – a family, a church, a club, a business, a trade union – may be said to have government. But when we speak of government, we generally mean public government, such as that of a nation, a state, a province, a country, a city, or a village. This article, mainly discusses the nature and powers of public governments.

Government of some kind affects every human activity in important ways. For that reason, most political scientists (specialists in the study of government) believe that government should not be studied by itself. They urge that when we study government we should also know something about anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, science and sociology. Therefore, this articles on these subjects should be read in connection with the Government article.

Element of Government

A number of basic elements are common to all governments. These basic elements are (1) RULES OF CONDUCT, (2) SOVEREIGNTY, (3) LEGITIMACY, (4) JURISDICTION AND (5) ENFORCEMENT.

RULES OF CONDUCT – Every group of people from a family to a nation – has rules of conduct to govern the lives of its members. For example, a family may have a rule that all its members be on time for meals. This rule makes it possible for the family members to eat together and then go about their own business. It is meant to keep life running smoothly for group members.

The rules made by a group are really decisions about matters that affect the group as a whole. The decisions are designed to encourage or require certain kinds of behavior, or to discourage or forbid other kinds of behavior by individual members.

SOVEREIGENTY  – is supreme power or authority. A sovereignty government has the authority to use force within its boundaries. Through the years, different ideas about the source of a public government’s sovereignty have developed. An early idea was that a government ruled by divine right. This idea suggested  than authority flowed to the government from God and was total and unlimited. Today, the people are regarded as the chief source of the government’s authority in democratic countries.

LEGITIMACY  – is the acceptance by the people of the government’s authority to exercise power. No political system can exist unless its government has such acceptance. The legitimacy of a government depends in part on the socialization of its people. Socialization is a learning process in which the people come to accept the standards of their society. Most countries promote socialization through educational systems that teach people to have positive views about their government. In government as a flag or national anthem.

Jurisdiction means the right or power of making and enforcing rules or laws. The jurisdiction of a public government extends over all people who live in a certain area. The only way a person can escape such jurisdiction is to move out of its area.

Public government have broad functional jurisdiction. Functional jurisdiction refers to the range of activities to which their rules or laws apply. Public governments can govern behavior that affects NATIONAL DEFENCE, SOCIAL WELFARE, THE ECONOMY, MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE, PUBLIC HEALTH, EDUCATION, TAXATION, AND TRANSPORTATION. In addition, public governments regulate most businesses, professions and trades.

LAW ENFORCEMENT – Rules of conduct are likely to have much effect unless people obey them. If the members of a group were permitted to ignore them. If the members of a group were permitted to ignore or disobey its rules, a society could not operate. Soon there would be no law or order.

Most people obey the discussions of their willingly. But some must be forced to obey the threat of punishment. Clubs, businesses and trade unions have officers who enforce their regulations. Cities and nations have police officers, traffic wardens, judges and soldiers to enforce their laws. Enforcement usually means some kind of punishment for people found guilty of disobedience. Those who have the power to control behavior by making and enforcing the rules of a group are often called a power structure.

Probably the most important difference between private and public government lies in how they enforce their rules or laws. Only public governments have the right to define certain acts as crime or to use physical force against disobedient people. A private government, such as a club, may fine or even expel a disobedient member. But only a public government can legally imprison a person.

The scope of Government

Many questions about government concern the relations between public and private governments. How far and over what kinds of activities, should the functional jurisdiction of public governments extend? Should the goods and services needed by the people be produced and provided entirely by private governments? Or should some industries and services be owned and operated by public governments? Should businesses and trade unions settle their dispute by themselves? Or should some public government step in to iron out worker-management disagreements? Who should established educational standards for schools and colleges-public or private governments? Should public governments manage the way news is reported in newspapers or on radio or television? Or should all   news reporting be controlled only by private governments?

ANARCHISM – Some people believe that public governments should have little or no functional jurisdiction. The most extreme belief of this kind is called anarchism. Anarchists believe that all public governments conflict with personal liberty and are necessary. Thus, anarchists would eliminate all public governments and let only individuals and private groups govern the activities of a country. Anarchism had some influence in the 1800’s but has few followers today.

TOTALITARIANISM – At the other extreme from anarchism is totalitarianism. Totalitarian governments demand total loyalty. They seek to regulate or even destroy such institutions as THE FAMILY, CHURCH, PRIVATE BUSINESSES, OR TRADE UNION. There are no limits on the functional jurisdiction of such governments. Totalitarian countries are usually governed by a small group of people. They put down all opposition and try to socialize citizens to believe the state is all-important individual freedoms are given little importance. Some totalitarian systems require total loyalty to a particular leader or group of leaders. These systems include MILITARY DICTATORSHIPS. Other totalitarian  systems require citizens to believe in a certain system of ideas. All types of totalitarian governments use force, the threat of force or terrorism to maintain control of the people. The basic idea of totalitarianism  exists today – in varying degree – in such Communist countries as China, Cuba and North Korea.  In practice, however, few governments have been able to extend their functional jurisdiction to every kind of group or individual behavior. Some private groups, such as families and churches, continue to make some rules for their members.

PLUALISM – Most nations have both public and private governments to make and enforce rules of behavior. These countries are called pluralistic because public and private groups have legitimacy and can affect the way the country is run. Groups representing the interests of BUSINESSES, FARMING, LABOUR, OR ETHNIC SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY work with public government to develop public policy.  Each group exerts pressure on the others and on public government. Together, they produce balancing pressures that keep a single group from taking over. In pluralistic societies, interaction among interest groups is a way forming public opinion.

Freedom for the individual is the most important value in a pluralistic system. People in pluralistic countries generally place firm limits on government powers that affect the rights of individuals. Private individuals and groups generally accept the procedure of working out their conflicts in the judicial and legislative systems of public government. The rules for resolving conflicts are found in a constitution and laws, and are an important part of a pluralistic society. Preserving these rules thus becomes a primary goal of the political system.

The public governments of some PLURALISTIC COUNTRIES, such as Sweden, base some of their economic policies on the principles of SOCIALISM. These public government own or operate certain basis industries or services. Other pluralistic countries, such as the United States have mixed economies. They base their economies on the principles of CAPITALISM, also called FREE ENTREPRISE. In these countries, almost all industries and services are owned or operated by individuals or private groups under 
government regulation.