Government is the process by which people in a society organize and allocate authority to accomplish goals and provide benefits for citizens. Depending on the type of governmental system, those goals can include economic prosperity for the country and its citizens, security for its borders, and many others. Governments also serve to regulate the behavior of businesses and citizens.
Governments can be organized in a variety of ways, but most have three basic functions: legislative, executive, and judicial. The Constitution, the set of rules that establishes the fundamental powers of the government, defines each of these functions. It is through this Constitution that the powers of the government are allocated among the branches and between the President, Congress, and the judiciary. The Constitution imposes restraints on the national and state governments, giving them certain limitations to ensure their success.
Local, state, and national governments raise money to spend on things that benefit the public. For example, state governments allocate money to help people learn skills for jobs, maintain roads and bridges, and manage wildlife. Federal governments spend money on national priorities such as defense, Social Security, and national parks.
At all levels of government, the representatives elected by the people make laws that establish what is and is not allowed in a particular area. For example, the legislature in the United States establishes the rights of its citizens, and federal agencies regulate the behavior of businesses. This is done to protect the rights of people, keep the economy functioning properly, and ensure that people do not harm each other or the environment.
The Executive Branch, through Federal departments and independent agencies, handles day-to-day enforcement and administration of Federal laws. These organizations have missions and responsibilities as diverse as the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The President, who heads the Executive Branch, can veto legislation passed by Congress, but the law becomes law again if both chambers pass it again with a two-thirds majority (or if the President signs a bill that has been vetoed by Congress).
Finally, the judiciary evaluates whether or not laws are constitutional. These evaluations are made by Supreme Court justices, judges of appeals courts, and district court judges nominated by the President and confirmed by Congress. The Congress can also impeach the President and remove him or her from office.
These different roles and functions of the Government are important to citizens because they give citizens several access points to influence policy and to hold government officials accountable. For example, if a citizen believes that a law passed by Congress goes too far in its scope of power, he or she can work to persuade the President to veto that bill or to try to change the way a law is written before it becomes a law. This is the principle of checks and balances, which were conceived by the Framers to create a complex system of government where each branch works to limit the power of the other two.