Written by Government is the machinery through which the will of the state is done.
It can also be defined as the institution of the state, set up to manage its activities.
Government have a variety of characteristics, including power, legitimacy, sovereignty, a large workforce, the ability to exist in various forms, etc.
1. Power: Every government must possess power. Power is the ability of a government to influence the activities of the citizens of the state.
Every government should possess adequate power so that it can exert control over the actions of every member of the society.
Power enables the government to uphold the rule of law and propel obedience
Without power, it is very unlikely that government can compel obedience to law and order.
Hence, the possession of power is one of the most fundamental things a government must possess.
2. Legitimacy: The extent to which citizens will obey the government of the day will depend on the legitimacy of the government.
There is a very good chance that citizens won’t abide by the laws and regulations of a government if they believe the government to be illegitimate.
On the other hand, if a government gains power legitimately, there is a higher likelihood that people will abide by the rules and laws set forth by that government.
The legitimacy of a government will be determined by the manner through which it gains powers, as well as the rules established by the government.
For instance, a government cannot simply orders every citizens to commit suicide, even if it acquires power legitimately.
If it try it, the legitimacy of the government will be questioned, and citizens may stage a protest calling for the government to be overthrown.
3. Personnel: The term “government” refers to a group of able-bodied personnel who are organized to manage the affairs of the state, not simply one person.
Government includes the president, the policemen, the armed forces, the judges, public servants, the legislator etc.
However, no matter the system of government in existence in a country, there is always an individual who act as the head of government.
In a presidential system, for instance, the president serves as the head of government, whereas in a parliamentary system, the prime minister is typically the head of government.
4. Sovereignty: This is yet another important feature of government.
Sovereignty means having supreme over the affairs of the state. If a government lacks sovereignty, it might not be able to enforce law and implement its policies.
So, one of the characteristics of government that is essential is the possession of sovereignty.
5. Subject to periodic changes: Government is not permanent, but the state is permanent.
Government changes from time to time. A democracy has a relatively predictable cycle for changing its government, which is typically every four years.
Changes in government, however, are unpredictable in monarchies because they can only take place at the monarch’s request or upon the monarch’s abdication.
In any case, there must always be a change in government.
6. Different forms of government: There is no such thing as a universal system of government.
Different countries have their own unique political structures. As an illustration, the United States has a presidential form of government in which the president serves as both the head of state and the head of government..
On the other hand, Great Britain has a parliamentary system of government in which the prime minister leads the government and the hereditary monarch serves as the head of state.
In-between, France operate a semi-presidential system of government, where the president, who is elected by the people, also appoints a prime minister who is answerable to the legislature.
Apart from the presidential system, semi-presidential system and parliamentary system, government can also be divided into various forms such as democracy, monarchy, autocratic, oligarchy, to name a few.
It is important to note that the form of government in existence will have an impact on how a government manages the affairs of a state.
7. Regulated by law: Laws govern all governmental activities and decisions.
The written or unwritten constitution of the country directs every action taken by the government.
If a government break the state laws, then it could be deem illegitimate and citizens may request for change in government.
8. Legally bounding decision: Since, in most cases, citizens usually select individuals to represent them in the governance of a state, the actions taken by the government is legally bound on every citizens of a country.
For instance, if the government of a state, let’s say Nigeria, mobilizes troops to go to war with another nation, it will be claimed that Nigeria (which includes all of its population and government) is at war with that nation.
The implication of government action being legally binding on every citizen is that the every government decision involving foreign relations will have to be complied with by all citizens of the nation, even though the citizens may not all agree with the decision individually.
Another implication of government decisions being legally binding on the citizen is that If a government borrows money from an international institutions, the state (which includes all of its members) is said to be indebted to the international institution.
Therefore, every action taken by the international organization as a result of the state’s refusal to pay its debt invariability affect the the citizens, not just the government.
9. Universality: This simply means that government has control over everything and everybody in the state.
As long as you are inside a state, the jurisdiction or control of the government of the state extends to you.
So, no one in a state is exempted from government control and regulation.
