Placente, Aaliyah May A.

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1. What is the government?

The government exercises control and regulates the social activities of the state. It also
has the power to enforce law as they define crimes and administer punishment. Most
governments have armed forces that acts as the defense to its existence in both internal
and external enemies of the state. At present, governments are involved in the direct
management of the economy, labor relations, customs and international trade. It also has
the responsibility to undertake social security, unemployment, agrarian reforms, public
health care and aid to poverty.

2. Classification of governmental functions

General Public Services
The government provides public services to people living within its own jurisdiction. It
gives the most basic needs by giving out goods or financial needs. It includes governmental
services such as public transit, public infrastructure consisting of public works and
highways. Funding for public services mostly comes from the taxes or other financial
transfers facilitated by the government.
Defense
Defense in the government is important because it gives security to its own citizens. It
may either be internal or external defense. In our country we have the Philippine National
Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Navy. Each has their
specific areas to protect.

Housing and community amenities

Its main focus is to provide housing to families with the support of the government to
provide affordable houses to underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban areas.
Resettlement and development of lands is one of the main objectives of this government
function.

Public Order and Safety

This is for the welfare and protection of the general public. It aims to keep the citizens
safe from public crimes or disasters. This focuses mainly on internal security of the country.
It ensures resolution in courts, prosecutors, prison administration and operation.
 Economic Affairs
Economic affairs deals with the economic planning and development of programs
substantial to the economy. It includes the policies and strategies that will pave the way for
growth and stabilization.
Environmental Protection
It focuses on maintaining the quality of our environment as it is and prevents possible
causes of pollution. Along with the environmental protection is also the preservation of our
reserved areas and endemic Philippine species. It also conserves our natural resources,
repair the damages caused by human intervention, and reverse trends.
Health
The government is responsible for assessing, implementing, evaluating every individual
and its community with regards to their health. It is concerned with disease prevention and
control in a nationwide level. It must establish effective integration of healthcare services
and address the slow pace implementation of it.
Education
The government plays a big role when it comes to education. There is a need for
government intervention because it establishes the basic standards of schools and colleges
whether in public or private institutions. A big portion of our educational system is
supported by the government through the use of public funds.
Social Protection
It deals with the issues in the protection of human rights. It is important because it
tackles the social situation in the country. It focuses on policies and programs that will help
reduce poverty by support services offered and strict implementation of it.
Recreation, culture and religion
It is also important to focus on the recreation, culture and religion, Since each individual
may be of different interests, cultures and religion there is a need to cater to each of these
needs.
3. Classifications of government
Government in terms of numbers of rulers:
Government by one:
Monarchy
It is a form of government that is vested in one person that may rule for a lifetime. The
monarch is the supreme ruler who functions as the head of the state. The office may be
elective but is usually hereditary in nature. A monarch who has unlimited power is an
absolute monarch while a constitutional monarch is limited by custom or constitution. In
modern times, it is usually a nonparty political figure and a symbol of national unity.
Dictatorship
This form of government in which one person holds absolute power and is not subject
to the consent of the governed. The dictator is usually a military leader and is considered
the most powerful during his time because there were no effective rules of law except his
own words or rulings. Its main function is the control all of the government’s operations.
Some of the 20th century dictators include Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Ferdinand Marcos.
Government by few:
Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of government where the authority lies within a special group of
people. It is different from monarchy in the sense that the power is in the hands of few
people. Inheritance is also not a necessary condition for this form of government. It is often
associated with tyranny and oppression.
Aristocracy
It is originally the ruling of a state by its best citizens in the interest of all. In current
times, it refers to the power structure being held by the nobility in which the authority to
rule may pass down from the family.
Government by many:
Democracy
Democracy is a system of the government under which all members of society have a
right to say something in making political decisions, either directly or indirectly. Direct
democracy is present in which political decisions are made by citizens meeting together. A
representative democracy is when the people elects members of a decision-making body.
Freedom of speech and the press, freedom of assembly are essential if a system is to be
democratic.
Government in terms of key institutions:
Parliamentary
It usually refer to the commons, the sovereign power of the nation. They elect the prime
minister and the nonpartisan speaker who presides over them. The executive head of the
government also comes from the commons, and government ministers are seated from
either house. If the party in power loses its parliamentary majority on a major issue,
Parliament is dissolved and new elections are held.
Presidentialism
It is a form of government which is an alternative to both monarchy and parliamentary.
A constitution is presidential if the executive and legislative branches of the government
are elected separately for fix terms.
Cabinet Government
The executive power rests upon the cabinet ministers who are responsible for the
legislative branch.
Rule of different economic classes
Feudal
It is the system of social, economic, and political relationships that shaped society in
Medieval Europe. The system rested on the obedience and service of a vassal to his lord in
return for protection, maintenance and tenancy of land. The system assumed a subsistence
economy.
Bourgeois democracy
This type of government only serves the interests of the bourgeois class.
Communist
A form of government that controls the economy and one single party holds the power.
In this type of government, social status or ranking won’t matter and eliminates ownership
of private properties geared towards an equal approach.
Commonwealth
The law is its foundation and the common good of people is what it stands for.
Confederacy
It has a central government but with limited powers. The sole authority remains in the
constituent entities.
Constitutional
It operates under fundamental laws and principles which determines its nature and
function of the government.

Sources:
 https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-system/Issues-of-classification
 https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/forms-
government/
 https://www.toppr.com/guides/civics/what-is-government/meaning-of-
government/