Government is the institutional authority that rules a community of people. Its primary goal is to maintain order and stability so that citizens can live safely, productively and happily. Governments achieve this by providing a wide range of goods and services to citizens, including protection from harm, education, public transportation and mail service, food, housing, and health care. Governments also provide a structure for people to communicate with each other and express their opinions.
Governments are typically organized into distinct institutions that constitute branches of government with particular powers, functions, and duties. This distribution of power is what gives rise to the term separation of powers. There are three broad areas of the government’s responsibilities, including making laws, executing or implementing those laws, and interpreting and applying laws. These correspond to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of any government.
The enactment of law is one of the most important functions of any government. The enactment of laws requires the approval of a legislature, which in most countries is composed of two chambers, the smaller upper house, and the larger lower house. The enactment of laws may also require the approval of a president or other senior leader. Depending on the country and type of government, this legislative branch may be called a parliament, bicameral legislature, or Congress.
While the government is responsible for enforcing the laws it makes, it also carries out other responsibilities. It provides infrastructure, such as roads and railways. It regulates access to resources, such as natural resources and public goods like water, parks, and wildlife. Governments also protect citizens from harm and ensure their safety by providing police departments, fire departments, and the military. Governments are also tasked with maintaining an economic climate that is stable and productive, as well as protecting the environment.
Governments set their own philosophies and values on how they should act, but the actual way in which they do their job depends upon what they believe is best for the country or state and its citizens. For example, a government that places a high value on the idea of egalitarianism will likely seek to reduce socioeconomic inequalities. It will also likely impose taxes on certain things like income and property, so that funds can be allocated to help people less fortunate than themselves.
Governments are commonly classified as democracies, totalitarian regimes or, a variety of systems that sit between these two. Other political philosophies that are sometimes included as forms of government include monarchy, aristocracy, timocracy, oligarchy and theocracy, among others. Almost all governments have some form of a constitution that specifies its modality and the powers and rules of its members.