What is Government?

The question here is actually- what is government? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines ‘government’ as a system by which a state, nation or community is governed.

Definition of government

A government is something that makes the law of the land and ensures that all the people in that nation or community are treated fairly by those laws.

Why have laws and rules?

Some things just work better when there is a system that administrates these laws. For example, take your school or even your home.

First take the example of your home. It is not easy for children to do everything themselves. They require their parents to provide food, call the electrician, go to the bank so they can focus on stuff like school and having fun. Like your parents take care of the house around you, the government takes care of the roads, crime, sanitation- basically all the big stuff that is harder for households to handle.

The rules of your school like not cheating during an exam or submitting someone else’s work as your own make it so that everyone is being treated fairly. Your teachers are like the part of the government that ensures the laws are followed correctly.

Why are these laws made?

For the social and economic welfare of all members of the community.

Who makes these laws?

In a democracy, groups of people come together to elect a leader who represents their social and economic needs. The representatives are usually part of a larger group of people known as a party.

People who come together in parties have similar ideas and philosophies of what role the government should play. The people they represent are known as constituents and the region is called a constituency.

And who are these people?

Elections are held at different levels of government to elect the people in charge of governance. For example, the mayor is elected at city level and is in charge of city-wide matters only while a Chief Minister is elected at state-level and focuses on issues that concern the entire state. This ensures that the interests of all segments of the community are taken care of.

If Gotham city is troubled by gangsters, then the Mayor of Gotham arranges for a larger police force to counter it. Another part of the city has a number of poor refugees, so he would be the one to talk to about getting some more low cost housing for them. The mayor also asks the legislator of the State for help, if required.

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