There are three meanings of “government” according to the WAEC Government syllabus. These relate to the three definitions of government as an institution, a process and a subject of study.
In other words, the three meanings of the term government are based on the way we look at the word government at any particular point in time.
In this post, I’m going to give you the three basic meanings of government.
And when you’re aware of the three fundamental definitions of government, you can then move on to other equally important aspects of government in a given state.
Definitions of Government
Let’s begin with a typical WAEC/NECO Government past question on the definition of the term, “government”.
A) WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?
B) GIVE ANY FIVE REASONS FOR THE STUDY OF GOVERNMENT
We can define Government from three different perspectives:
1. Government as an Institution of State
Government is the organ that is responsible for steering or running the affairs of the state . In other words it is a set of institutions that the state establishes to manage its affairs.
- Government may or may not be elected.
- It has authority over both citizens and aliens and has coercive power to enforce its orders.
- Most governments have three organs namely the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary.
2. Government as A Process or Art of Governing
This second meaning of government refers to the practice of governance.
Here comes the definition of government in this sense.
Government is an orderly direction or control of the affairs of the state by a group within the state. It is the systematic formulation of policies, their translation into action with a view to securing the common good.
3. Goverment as an Academic Field of Study
Government is a subject of study in the social sciences which deals with how a state is administered.
As you can see, this meaning of Government makes it one of the many other subjects that we teach or learn in school. So you can study Government, Literature, History, Mathematics and so on.
In many higher institutions of learning, Political Science becomes another way of referring to the subject, Government.
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Ralph Nyadzi is the Director of Studies at Cegast Academy. He is a qualified English tutor with decades of experience behind him. Since 2001, he has successfully coached thousands of High School General Arts WASSCE candidates in English, Literature and related subjects. He combines his expertise with a passion for lifelong learning to guide learners from varying backgrounds to achieve their educational goals. Ralph shares lessons from his blogging journey on BloggingtotheMax. He lives with River, his pet cat, in the Central Region of Ghana.
