Concept of government
Government is one of the essential elements of a state. No state can be formed
without a government. The government runs the state. Government performs three
kinds of functions to steer the state. It does legislative, executive and
judicial functions. A government has three organs, such as the legislature,
executive and judiciary.
The legislature enacts the necessary laws for a country. The executive governs
the country by enforcing these laws. Judiciary punishes the guilty and
establishes justice in society by freeing innocents. So the government refers
to that population that is associated with law making, governance and
establishing justice. In a modern democratic state, the people determine the
government through an election. The government works as the agent of its
people.
Relationship between state and government
In ancient times there was no difference between state and government. Louis,
the fourteenth of France, said, ‘I am the state’. But in modern times, there
are vast differences between a state and a government. These are as follows:
Formation: Population, territory, government and sovereignty – these
four elements constitute a state. Government. is one of those elements by
which a state is run.
Population: A state consists of all the population in a country. And
the government consists of the persons employed in the legislature, executive
and judiciary.
Permanence: State is a permanent institution, but the government is
temporary and changeable. Change of government occurs due to a people’s
demands. It also occurs to run the government conveniently. For example, the
government of Bangladesh has changed many times but the state remains
unchanged.
Nature and characteristics: All the states have the exact nature and
characteristics. But the nature and characteristics of government vary from
state to state. For example, Bangladesh has the parliamentarian form of
government whereas the USA has the presidential form.
Sovereignty: State is sovereign or the possessor of absolute power.
Government is the only agent to implement sovereign power.
Concept: State is an abstract. A state can neither be seen nor imagined
or felt. But the government is concrete because the persons who comprise the
government are visible.
So, despite the differences between state and government, their relations are
close. One cannot be imagined without the other. The government is formed only
for running the state.
