1. Wikipedia Definition:
Government is defined as the body within an organization that has authority and function to make and the power to enforce laws, regulations, or rules. Typically, government refers to a civil government -- local, provincial, or national. However, commercial, academic, religious, or other formal organizations are also governed by internal bodies. Such bodies may be called boards of directors, managers, or governors or they may be known as the administration (as in schools) or councils of elders (as in churches).
Growth of an organization increases the complexity of its government, therefore small towns or small-to-medium privately-operated enterprises will have few officials compared to larger organizations such as multinational corporations which will have multiple interlocking, hierarchical layers of administration and governance. As complexity increases and the nature of governance becomes more complicated,so does the need for formal policies and procedures. Some people, known as anarchists believe that societies would function better without a government.
2. Webster's Dictionary
1: the act or process of governing ; specifically : authoritative direction or control2obsolete : moral conduct or behavior : discretion3 a: the office, authority, or function of governing bobsolete : the term during which a governing official holds office4: the continuous exercise of authority over and the performance of functions for a political unit : rule5 a: the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises authority and performs functions and which is usually classified according to the distribution of power within it b: the complex of political institutions, laws, and customs through which the function of governing is carried out6: the body of persons that constitutes the governing authority of a political unit or organization: as a: the officials comprising the governing body of a political unit and constituting the organization as an active agency bcapitalized : the executive branch of the United States federal government ccapitalized : a small group of persons holding simultaneously the principal political executive offices of a nation or other political unit and being responsible for the direction and supervision of public affairs: (1): such a group in a parliamentary system constituted by the cabinet or by the ministry (2): administration 4b
3. BusinessDictionary.com
Body of people that sets and administers public policy, and exercises executive, political, and sovereign power through customs, institutions, and laws within a state.
In my humble opinion, Government is a Good and Bad thing in today's society. Even though government is complex as a whole as it concerns a country, even the broken down or lower divisions are far from being helpful to the majority of its people. Especially in the united states, the government is so complex and multi-layered, it is almost impossible to follow a chain of command to the top. You have the president, congress, state government, city government and local government (then maybe tribal government). Because of the widespread dependence on government (or the governing body) to do everything, the people have blindly given the true power they have, to their government without even knowing it.
A government cannot exist without people, and the government cannot have power without the people giving them the power they need (your vote). If you decide not to vote next year for your local officials, you would see how fast they inquire into what is wrong and why people are not voting. All levels of government would eventually stop operating or take on a rogue character operating under fiction of law.
The good thing about government is that, if the people only knew they had the power to change legislature, laws, rules, regulations and other obstructions, they would play an active part in stabilizing the economy. It sickens me all the time when I see a group of people walking up and down protesting, with picket signs and shouting. Almost nothing gets done with this barbaric act. The term "The pen is mightier than the sword" is a phrase that should be framed and placed on every door on the inside, so you see it before you leave everyday.
Corruption, Secrecy, Deception, Greed, Fraud, Dereliction of fiduciary duty, and intimidation are just a few common words surrounding politics. The power to influence another human being in any society is considered a valuable asset or position to have. It is no different in government, some get busted, while some walk freely.
Why do the government take advantage of its people? Because the people or representatives let them get away with it. First is lack of interest or intelligence to approach the problem. If you do not know something is hurting you, why would you dig deeper? If you do not have the know how, it is normally common for an attorney to turn down your request to proceed with a government investigation unless it is a public matter.
So many problems, so little people with enough knowledge to help the rest... Very Sad.
