We hear the word "government" many times throughout the day, but never think about its meaning. In the view of the average layman, the country's leadership consists of people who decide something there for everyone. Most of the population will not even be able to name more than 2-3 ministries, and even the name of the minister is generally knowledge on the verge of fantasy. Let’s try to figure out what the government is, when it appeared, why it is needed at all and what this governing body in our country is.
Government definition
The state should have a number of necessary features, without which it cannot be considered as such. One of them is the presence in the country of a centralized governing body. Governments in one form or another appeared before our era, and one of the first discussions about what such a government and state system belongs to ancient philosophers.
If we take into account all its types in the definition of the concept of government, then we can come to the following statement. The government is one of the main government bodies that regulates the work of all public institutions, is responsible for upholding the rule of law within the country, welfare of citizens and protection from external threats, using all available financial, administrative and military resources of society. In fact, the state government is nothing more than the executive branch.
What are the governments
In different states, the executive branch is formed in different ways:
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On a party basis. If a party system exists in the country and one of the parties dominates, then the government there will be one-party. If several party organizations are in power, then such a government is multi-party.
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Non-partisan governments. They exist in countries with no party system at all. These can be absolute monarchies and dictatorial regimes (for example, fascist). Under a dictatorship, a formal party system may exist, but this is nothing more than a sign that does not solve anything. All the fullness of power is concentrated in the hands of one person and a particularly close group of people.
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Majority and minority governments. They operate in countries where their members are appointed or elected. If the prime minister and cabinet members are supported by a larger number of parliamentary parties, then this is a majority government, if a smaller number of parties are minorities.
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Transitional Governments. Most often appointed in crisis situations and can be formed on a variety of principles.
Ways to Form a Government
There are two main ways to form a cabinet:
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Parliamentary. With this method, the prime minister is elected by parliament. Often, he must submit for the approval of parliamentarians and the composition of the future cabinet. Parliament may pass a vote of no confidence in the government, after which the question arises of the resignation of the cabinet.
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Unparliamentary. Most often, with this method of formation, the president makes a decision on the composition of the cabinet. The head of state also nominates the prime minister. At the same time, the president can make changes to the government independently, without the approval of the prime minister. But in order to appoint the prime minister himself, the head of the country often has to enlist the support of members of parliament.
The parliamentary formation is characteristic of parliamentary republics and monarchies, where the prime minister is the main person in the state. Presidential republics (Russian Federation) prefer the non-parliamentary way of appointing the cabinet.
Who the government consists of
With any form of government, there is a cabinet. No monarch in the past could rule completely alone. In fact, the so-called circle of associates has changed over time in the ministry. The government as such is a purely executive body. The president (under the presidential form of government) or (in some cases) the dictator are also part of the government of the country. But they work more like generators of ideas and a higher authority. The Cabinet of Ministers is nevertheless responsible for complying with orders and maintaining order in the country, therefore, in answering the question of what the government is, we will have in mind it.
The head of the cabinet is usually the prime minister or chancellor, underneath are directly the ministers responsible for their areas of work. Ministers may have deputies; the deputy chairman usually has a deputy prime minister. Often under the government or the president there is a narrow circle of top officials of the state who make fundamental decisions. Virtually anyone can become a minister. Sometimes this requires high professionalism in their industry, sometimes some connections, and often both.
