CONCEPT OF GOVERNMENT

Government is the agency or instrumentality through which the will of the people is
formulated, expressed and realized. (Cruz, 1991). It is the body of people and institutions that make and
enforce laws for society (Austin, 1993).

The body of people here refers to the person or group of persons who, for the time being, are
placed to discharge the functions of government. We call it administration, say, the administration of
Estrada. But what we mean by saying we are not part of the government is that we are not one of the
elected government officials, nor are we one of the government employees. We do not even belong to
the institution of the government like the police or the court. In that case, we are not part of the
government as the given definitions would suggest. However, if you are 18 years old and above, you can
participate in the selection process of choosing who will given the power to rule. Through your right to
vote, you choose our leaders in the government. Of coarse, your one vote will not exactly determine
who will be elected but your vote counts. Collectively, people choose the form of government and the
people who will lead that government.

The mandate of the government is to serve the interest and the welfare of the people. To a
large extent, the government will be true to its mandate depending upon the people. TAL Pueblo, Tal
Gobierno, Rizal once said. It means the kind of citizenry characterizes the kind of government they have.
If the people do not care about what the people in their government are doing; If people resort to quick
fix (lagay) to secure fast government service; If people sell their votes for a few pesos; if people vote for
personality and not for performance, surely they will get the kind of government they deserve.
Impliedly, the collective voice of the people will also affect government policies and decisions. If the
people are vigilant and assertive, they can influence their government towards serving the people’s
welfare.

BASIC DUTIES OF GOVERNMENT

It is very important that we identify these duties. These would be the measure we will use to
know if government officials are performing according to their sworn duties and promises during
elections. These will also serve as our gauge if a government is effective and responsive to the needs of
the people.

Generally, the ultimate duty of any government in this modern time is to insure the survival and
stability of the nation. These are the two aspects that may destroy this stability:

1. external threat such as aggression by other states like what Iraq did to Kuwait in 1992.
2. Internal conflict within the territory such as insurgency and secessionist movements of the
CPP/NPA and the MILF, respectively, in the Philippines or the conflict between different
sectors of the society (labor sector versus the employer’s sector), or social problems like
poverty and criminality.
These things must be addressed effectively and decisively by the government. The following are its basic
duties:

1. Insure Domestic peace and order – such as enforcement of traffic rules, maintenance of an effective
police force, suppression of domestic violence, settling of individual or group dispute by an independent
court, conduct of rescue and relief operation during calamities, protection of private property and lives
of citizens.

2. Establish the defense of the state and preservation of independence - like forging military alliance
such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and RP-US Military Defense Treaty or ASEAN
Region Forum (ARF) to establish diplomatic ties with other states and build strong armed forces.

3. Promote physical, social, and economic well-being of the people – implementation of social
legislation such as land reform provide equitable distribution of property, maintain public hospital, free
public education, provide low cost housing, provide employment opportunities, and implement sports
program.

4. Promotion of general welfare, public safety, and public morality – enforce health standards, regulate
business to protect consumers, arrest spread of diseases, disallow driving without license, regulate the
sale of different products, close clubs with bold shows, prohibit illegal gambling and confiscate
pornographic materials.

5. Secure economic development – maintain trade relationship with each other states, seek
membership in international trade organizations like APEC, World Trade Organization, adopt sound
monetary and fiscal policies.

Technically speaking, these duties and functions of government fall under either of the following:

1. Constituent functions (Cruz, 1991) such as maintenance of peace and order, protection of
persons and property, and defense of the state. These functions are compulsory and inherent to
a state. These functions are compulsory and inherent to a state as attributes of sovereignty.
2. Ministrant functions such as providing for free elementary and secondary education, and low
cost housing. These functions are undertaken to advance the general interest of society and are
voluntary or optional on the government.
Presently, the distinction between constituent and ministrant functions of the government is
unrealistic and moot and academic, to say the least. The demands of the times make it
necessary that government provides for these functions. These functions are expressed as
national policy by the constitution to promote social justice. Hence, those ministrant functions
are now made obligatory, and become the gauge by which the citizens can determine the extent
of the government’s achievement in promoting the general welfare.

Monarchy

This is literally means a rule of one person (from a Greek word monos, meaning one). Government
powers are vested in one virtuous and just person. He rules for the benefit of all, and none for his
interest.
Aristocracy

It is derived from the Greek word aristos which means best. It is the rule of the most virtuous,
intelligent, and enlightened few members of the elite class of society. They rule with wisdom to lead the
people in a just and prosperous society.

Polity

It is taken form the greek word polites or citizens. The people are given the right to participate
in selecting their leaders, in making laws, and in decision-making of the government. These rights are
prescribed by written guidelines to protect the interest of the minority over the interest of the minority.
Political equality is enjoyed by all adult citizens.

MODERN CLASSIFICATION OF FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

As to the number of person’s Exercising the sovereign Powers

1. Absolute Monarchy. It is the type of monarch that holds absolute or total powers. He is the
chief executive, legislator, and judge at the same time. There is no limitation to his powers. As
King Louis XVI of France said,” I am the state.” However, only a few ruling monarchs are left to
this day. They were either overthrown or killed in bloody revolutions like the French Revolution
in 1870 in France and the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 in Russian. Example of absolute
monarchies today are Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait.
2. Constitutional Monarchy. The power of the monarch is limited by a constitution. He rules the
accordance with the law. He shares power with other government bodies. The king exercises the
executive power but the legislative power is vested in a legislative body and the judicial power
in the court.

DEMOCRACY
It is the rule of the people (from the greek words demos, meaning people and kratos, meaning
to rule). The ultimate power in a democratic government is vested in the people. It is what Abraham
Lincoln calls “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” It means that all people
have the right to participate in the political decision-making process of government and it is the final will
of the people that prevails.

2 Kinds of Democracy:

1. Direct Democracy. In this kind of democracy, the people directly take part in the decision-
making process of the government. In ancient Athens, all adult citizens assemble ten times a
year to discuss and decide government matters. The cantons (towns) of Switzerland are a
semblance of direct democracy today.
2. Representative or Republican Democracy. Today, people are too many to act directly on
government matters. In this type, people elect their representative who will exercise the
sovereign powers of the state. Most of the nation-states are of the republican type such as the
Philippines, US, and Germany.
UNITARY GOVERNMENT

The distinguishing feature of a unitary form of government is the centralization of government powers
in the national government. The authority of the national government is supreme over local government
authority