Meaning of Government

• The term Government can be viewed from many perspectives, the

major perspectives to government are: These are: Government as an
institution of the state, Government as a process or an art of
governing and Government as an academic field of study.

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 Government as an Institution of state: this perspective, government is
viewed as a body of persons and institutions that make and enforce law in a
state. This means that government is a feature or an attribute of state (Afolabi,
2008). Governent is viewed as an institution or agency through which the state
exercises its power and authority for the realization of her will.

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• Government as a Process or an Art of Governing: government as a
process or art of governing deals directly with the actions and
activities of government to establish, consolidate and sustain the
cohesiveness of the society. Here formulation and enforcement of
laws for the protection and good governance of the citizens are the
primary functions.

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• Government as an Academic Field of Study This perspective regards
government as one of the social sciences that is taught in schools and
higher institutions where it is called political science or political studies,
Silas (2013). Besides being taught in schools as a discipline, it also connotes
the following: (a) The study of government includes such courses as
Political Theory, Public Administration, Political Economy, Political
Behaviour, Internal Relations, Comparative Government and Politics, Local
Government Administration, Political History, Islamic Political Thought etc.
(b) It studies the theories, functions and relationships between political
institutions and processes in the state. 13 (c) The study of government has
developed different methods and techniques to achieve systematic
propositions which are being used for solving problems that confront
various governmental systems.

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State Defined
• The State’ has no single definition. However, an ideal definition of The State
should contain certain ingredients – features of The State.
• The State, therefore, may be defined as “a politically organized body of people
occupying a definite geographical territory, with an organized government, free
from external control, able to enforce and regulate the conduct of the people and
recognized by other states in the international system”.
Features of a State
1. Population
2. Territory
3. Government
4. Sovereignty
5. Recognition by other States

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Government
• Government as an academic field, is the study of how groups and
individuals interact with regards to power, authority and rule. This
study could be scientific.
• Government is referred to as an institution or machinery or
instrument for making and enforcing laws in a society or State.
System of Government
1. Unitary System
2. Federal System
3. Confederal System
4. Military System
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• Unitary System: This system of government is organized under a single, central
control – all executive and legislative power and authority is centralized in a single
government. This system of government is mostly practiced in State with
homogenous population.
• This system fosters unity, is easy to operate, disallows duplication of offices, easy
writing and amendment of constitution. However, it does not allow for development
of individual units of government.
• Federal System: In this system of government, power is shared among the federal
government and the other units of government. This division of power is provided for
in the constitution of such State.
• The federal system reduced the fear of domination, provides for wider participation
in governance, and brings government as close to the people as possible, although it
is a very complex system to manage
• Confederal System (Confederation): This system of government comprises a league
of sovereign and independent states, coming together to agree on a common course
of action or specific international matters, as well as give up a part of its sovereignty.
They may go as far as selecting delegates to implement the treaty of alliance.
• A member-state in a confederation can decide to withdraw its membership at
anytime

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Forms of Government
• The two major forms of government are: Cabinet/Parliamentary and Presidential
forms of government.
• Cabinet/Parliamentary Form: In this form of government, executive power of The
State lies in the hand of the parliament – the head of parliament (Prime Minister)
doubles as the Head of Government. The Head of State performs only ceremonial
functions.
• The Parliament has supreme authority.
• Presidential Form: This form of government is based on the principle of
separation of power. The President, although the Chief Executive, does not posses
supreme authority, the constitution does. The President or Chief Executive has
veto power and is allowed by law to make use of it when the need arises.
• In this form, there exists the central and component units of government, and
power is divided such that they are inter-dependent (each unit plays some role in
the actions of the others), but at the same time politically independent.

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Functions of the Government
• Law making
• Provisions of social amenities
• Maintenance of law and order
• Defense of the country from external aggression
• Protection of lives and property
• Provision of employment
• Formulation and implementation of policies
• Promotion of economic activities
• External affairs and diplomatic functions
• Administration of justice.

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Politics
• Although there is consensus on what constitutes politics, there are varied ways in which political science
scholars have expressed this consensus.
• Politics has been defined by scholars, using single phrase that embrace variety of political activities:
a. Spiro defines politics as the process by which the community of human beings deals with their problems
particularly with the obstacles they perceived to exist between their present conditions and goals they wish to
pursue.
b. David Easton sees it as the process by which scarce resources are authoritatively allocated with the aim of
providing for human needs and desires.
• Others scholars define Politics by listing questions that should be asked and answered in understanding
politics:
a. Harold Lasswell defines politics as “who gets what, when and how?”
b. W.A. Welsh defines politics by asking the following questions: How do the artifacts of human organization
(formal group, political parties, nation states, international organization) persist through conditions of stress
and change?; How do certain individuals or groups achieve and maintain influence and power?; What social,
cultural, economic conditions nurture different types of political order e.g. anarchy, democracy,
authoritarianism, totalitarianism?

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