Access free live classes and tests on the app
Download
+
Unacademy
  • Goals
    • AFCAT
    • AP EAMCET
    • Bank Exam
    • BPSC
    • CA Foundation
    • CAPF
    • CAT
    • CBSE Class 11
    • CBSE Class 12
    • CDS
    • CLAT
    • CSIR UGC
    • GATE
    • IIT JAM
    • JEE
    • Karnataka CET
    • Karnataka PSC
    • Kerala PSC
    • MHT CET
    • MPPSC
    • NDA
    • NEET PG
    • NEET UG
    • NTA UGC
    • Railway Exam
    • SSC
    • TS EAMCET
    • UPSC
    • WBPSC
    • CFA
Login Join for Free
avtar
  • ProfileProfile
  • Settings Settings
  • Refer your friendsRefer your friends
  • Sign outSign out
  • Terms & conditions
  • •
  • Privacy policy
  • About
  • •
  • Careers
  • •
  • Blog

© 2023 Sorting Hat Technologies Pvt Ltd

Watch Free Classes
  • About UPSC
    • Introduction to the CSE
    • Prelims Syllabus
    • Mains Syllabus
      • Essay Paper
      • GS Paper 1
      • GS Paper 2
      • GS Paper 3
      • GS Paper 4
    • Interview
    • Syllabus
    • Annual Calender
    • UPSC Booklists
    • Cut-Offs
  • Downloads
    • PYQs
      • Prelims
      • Mains
      • Previous Year paper analysis Analysis - Mains
    • Free Content
      • Free Content: Prelims : GS, CSAT
      • MCQs
      • Daily News Analysis: Date-wise
      • Important Schemes
      • IAS English Content
      • UPSC Unstoppable content
  • Free Video Lecture
    • Free Special Classes
    • YouTube Classes
      • UPSC Unstoppables
      • Unacademy IAS: English
      • Let's Crack UPSC CSE
      • Let's Crack UPSC CSE Hindi
      • World Affairs by Unacademy
  • Strategy
    • GS Mains
  • Courses
    • Foundation Courses
      • Foundation Program (Hinglish)
      • Foundation Classroom 2026 (Hinglish)
      • Online Classroom Program (English)
      • Online Classroom Program (Hindi)
      • NCERT Foundation Batch (Hindi)
      • Comprehensive Current Affairs Batch
    • Distance Learning Program
      • Prelims Test Series and Printed Notes (English)
      • Prelims Test Series and Digital Notes (English)
      • Mains Test Series and Printed Notes (English)
      • Mains Test Series and Digital Notes (English)
      • Mains Test Series and Printed Notes (Hindi)
    • Current Affairs
      • Daily Current Affairs
    • QEP Mains
    • UPSC CSE Optionals
  • Test Series
    • Prelims
    • Mains
  • Scholarship
    • UCSC
  • Topper's Guide
    • Topper's Notes
    • Topper's Mock Inteview Videos
      • 2022 Topper's
      • 2021 Topper's
    • Learn from Topper's
UPSC » UPSC CSE Study Materials » General Awareness » Government

Government

The system or group of people that governs an organised community, most commonly a state, is referred to as the "government." The fundamental parts of a government are the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, according to an expansive definition of the term "government."

Table of Content
  •  

The government serves not only as a mechanism for determining organisational policy but also as a means by which organisational policy can be enforced. In a lot of countries, the government has something like a constitution, which is a statement of the principles and ideas that guide how it runs the country. A state or community needs a government in order to be governed effectively.According to the definition provided by the Columbia Encyclopaedia, government is “a system of social control in which the right to create laws, as well as the right to enforce them, is vested in a certain group in society.”

Functioning of government

In nations that operate under a command economy, the government is charged with a broad spectrum of responsibilities regarding a variety of aspects of economic behaviour. Businesses and industries are either owned or regulated by the government in nations that adhere to the social democratic model.

The historical steps that led to governments being able to perform their modern functions make for an interesting study in and of themselves. The ancient polis was responsible for the all-encompassing regulation of the ends of human existence as part of its scope of authority. According to Aristotle’s interpretation, anything that the government did not specifically order to be done was unlawful.However, when the world of feudalism succeeded the Roman Empire, one of the first objects of political authority was the enforcement of the religious sanctions. In British English, the word “government” is frequently used to refer to what is known as a “administration” in American English. This refers to the policies that are implemented and the government officials that are appointed by a particular executive or governing coalition. In American English, the term “administration” is more commonly used.

Forms of government by power structure:

Anarchy

There are no rules or regulations.

It is a structure that strives for non-hierarchical, voluntary associations among agents, and it is sometimes referred to as non-governance.

When an established state in a country has been destroyed and the region is in a transitional period without definitive leadership, this can be a natural and temporary result of the civil war that is raging in that country. Alternatively, it has been advocated as a workable option for the long term by a group of people known as anarchists. These individuals are opposed to the state as well as other types of coercive hierarchies.

Confederation

A confederation is a union of sovereign states that are united for the purposes of common action, most frequently in relation to other states. Confederations are also known as confederacies and leagues. These confederations are typically created by means of a treaty. The term “intergovernmentalism” refers to “any type of engagement between states that takes place on the basis of sovereign independence or government.” Confederation is a primary example of intergovernmentalism, which is defined as “any form of connection between states.” The Confederation functions very similarly to a Federation, with the Federal Government functioning as a merger or alliance of all of the individual states.

Unitary state

A unitary state is a state that is governed as a single power, in which the central government is ultimately supreme, and any administrative divisions (sub-national units) exercise only the powers that the central government chooses to delegate to them. This type of state is also known as a single-power state. 165 of the 193 states that are members of the United Nations have a unitary form of government.

Federation

A federation, also known as a federal state, is a type of political organisation that is defined by a union of largely self-governing states or regions that are governed by a central (federal) authority. This type of political entity is known as a federal state. This means that the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power, cannot be altered by a decision made unilaterally by either party, the states, or the federal political body.

Forms of government by power source:

Autocracy

An autocracy is a form of government in which the supreme power (both social and political) is held by a single person or polity. The decisions of this person or polity are not subject to any external legal restraints or regularised mechanisms of popular control (with the possible exception of the implicit threat of a coup d’état or mass insurrection). The most common types of autocracy in today’s world include dictatorships and absolute monarchies, such as those found in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Brunei, and Eswatini. North Korea is also included in this category.

Democracy

Democracy, which literally translates to “rule of the people,” is a form of government in which the citizens either exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament. The phrase “rule of the majority” is used to describe democracy rather frequently. A democracy is a method of resolving disputes in which the outcomes are contingent on the actions taken by the participants, but in which no single force has control over what takes place or its consequences. This does involve the ability for residents to vote for various candidates for leadership positions and laws.

Oligarchy

Oligarchy, which literally translates to “rule of the few,” is a sort of power structure in which the power is held by only a select few individuals. These individuals can be separated from others by their nobility, fortune, familial ties, education, or ownership of corporations, religious institutions, or armed forces.

Conclusion

The protection of people’s lives should be the primary objective of the government. This should include both the safety of individuals in their relationships with one another and the protection of the nation’s independence in its dealings with other nations. The term “government” is most commonly used to refer to the approximately 200 independent national governments that exist across the globe, in addition to the subsidiary organisations that these governments have.

faq

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Examination Preparation.

What are the 3 main forms of government?

Ans. The type of government a nation has can be classified as one of three main types: ...Read full

What is democracy?

Ans. “Of the people, by the people, for the people” Abraham Lincoln. The word democracy comes from the G...Read full

What is the role of the government?

Ans. A government is responsible for creating and enforcing the rules of a society, defense, foreign affairs, the ec...Read full

What is the government system?

Ans. There are three main systems of government used today: unitary systems, federal systems, and confederate system...Read full

What should be the primary objective of the government?

Ans. The protection of people’s lives should be the primary objective of the government.

Ans. The type of government a nation has can be classified as one of three main types:

Democracy.

Monarchy.

Dictatorship.

Ans. “Of the people, by the people, for the people” Abraham Lincoln. The word democracy comes from the Greek words “demos”, meaning people, and “kratos” meaning power; so democracy can be thought of as “power of the people”: a way of governing which depends on the will of the people.

Ans. A government is responsible for creating and enforcing the rules of a society, defense, foreign affairs, the economy, and public services.

Ans. There are three main systems of government used today: unitary systems, federal systems, and confederate systems.

Ans. The protection of people’s lives should be the primary objective of the government.

Get started with your UPSC preparation today

Over 8L learners preparing with Unacademy

  • Fully organized study planner
  • Exceptional educators to learn from
  • Ask Mock tests, live quizzes & practice
View subscription plans

Notifications

Get all the important information related to the UPSC Civil Services Exam including the process of application, important calendar dates, eligibility criteria, exam centers etc.

Previous Year Question Papers for Optional Subjects
UPSC 2022 Prelims Results
UPSC Calendar
UPSC CSE GS Main Test Series 23
UPSC Cut Off Analysis
UPSC Dedicated Doubt Solving Sessions
UPSC Eligibility Criteria 2024
UPSC Exam Pattern – Check Prelims and Mains Exam Pattern
UPSC Free Doubt Solving Sessions – Doubt Darbaar
UPSC Marking Scheme
UPSC Prelims Answer Key 2022
UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Paper
UPSC Prelims Result 2024 Out – Download Prelims Result
UPSC Preparation Books – Best Books for IAS Prelims and Mains
UPSC Syllabus 2024 PDF – IAS Prelims and Mains Syllabus
UPSC Toppers
See all

Related articles

Learn more topics related to General Awareness
Zero Budget Natural Farming

A brief note on Zero Budget Natural Farming, The father of Zero Budget natural farming, pillars of Zero Budget natural farming, The difference between zero budget farming and organic farming and many things.

Yield Curve

In this article, we will try to understand the concept of a yield curve and its type. This quick article will be a quick complete guide about the yield curve.

Yes Bank Crisis and Reconstruction

Yes Bank is a bank that offers banking and financial services. There are approximately 1050 branches throughout India. Rana Kapoor and the late Ashok Kapoor founded Yes Bank Ltd. on November 21, 2003.

World’s Safest Countries

The Global Peace Index ranks the countries that are the safest globally, and Iceland ranks as the number one safest nation according to this report.

See all

Start you preparation with Unacademy

Access more than 469+ courses for UPSC - optional
Get subscription

Related links

  • UPSC Syllabus
  • UPSC PDF Notes
  • UPSC Printed Notes
  • UPSC Exam Pattern
  • UPSC Eligibility Criteria
  • UPSC Cut Off Analysis
  • UPSC Mains Exam
  • UPSC Prelims Exam
  • UPSC Marking Scheme
  • UPSC Toppers
  • UPSC Notes
  • UPSC Question Paper

UPSC Preparation

  • UPSC Preparation Books
  • Tips for UPSC Preparation
  • How to Prepare for UPSC without Coaching
  • UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Paper
  • UPSC Question Paper 2022
  • UPSC Question Paper 2020
  • UPSC Question Paper 2019
  • UPSC Toppers Notes
testseries_upsc

Latest UPSC Notifications

  • UPSC Mains Paper Analysis
  • UPSC Mains Result 2022
  • UPSC 2023
  • UPSC Study Material
Latest Current Affairs
.
Company Logo

Unacademy is India’s largest online learning platform. Download our apps to start learning


Starting your preparation?

Call us and we will answer all your questions about learning on Unacademy

Call +91 8585858585

Company
About usShikshodayaCareers
we're hiring
BlogsPrivacy PolicyTerms and Conditions
Help & support
User GuidelinesSite MapRefund PolicyTakedown PolicyGrievance Redressal
Products
Learner appLearner appEducator appEducator appParent appParent app
Popular goals
IIT JEEUPSCSSCCSIR UGC NETNEET UG
Trending exams
GATECATCANTA UGC NETBank Exams
Study material
UPSC Study MaterialNEET UG Study MaterialCA Foundation Study MaterialJEE Study MaterialSSC Study Material

© 2025 Sorting Hat Technologies Pvt Ltd

Unacademy
  • Goals
    • AFCAT
    • AP EAMCET
    • Bank Exam
    • BPSC
    • CA Foundation
    • CAPF
    • CAT
    • CBSE Class 11
    • CBSE Class 12
    • CDS
    • CLAT
    • CSIR UGC
    • GATE
    • IIT JAM
    • JEE
    • Karnataka CET
    • Karnataka PSC
    • Kerala PSC
    • MHT CET
    • MPPSC
    • NDA
    • NEET PG
    • NEET UG
    • NTA UGC
    • Railway Exam
    • SSC
    • TS EAMCET
    • UPSC
    • WBPSC
    • CFA

Share via

COPY