Governments exist to protect people, create laws, and enforce those laws. They also control taxes, print money and regulate the financial system. Those are the most fundamental roles of a government, but there are many other ways they can make society better. Governments can do all sorts of things to manage externalities, drive economic growth and provide social security. Whether these activities are good or bad depends on the particular goals of a government, its policies and the broader economy.
Government agencies must have the public’s trust to function properly. That means being open and transparent about how they make decisions. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case. Anecdotes abound of government agencies hiding their decision-making from the citizens they serve. In the past, these incidents have tarnished public perceptions of government and led to a distrust that can undermine the entire concept of a democracy.
Despite the fact that there are numerous governments around the world, they all share a few basic functions. First and foremost, they must have the funding to maintain law and order. This includes a well-trained police force, a fair and impartial judicial system, and an effective military. Governments also need to support the economic infrastructure of a nation, which may include transportation and health care.
The next essential function is to make sure that people are not being discriminated against or taken advantage of. This involves ensuring that all citizens have a chance at the American Dream, and it also includes protecting the environment. Governments are often tasked with identifying and mitigating the effects of environmental pollution, as well as addressing issues like overfishing and global warming.
As people gathered in groups, it became clear that protection was easier if some members of the group had more power than others. This led to the idea of sovereignty, or the right of a group (later a country) to be self-governing. Governments almost certainly originated as the resulting legal institutions to govern those who agreed to follow the rules.
Governments have long been the enforcers of laws, but they have evolved into much more than that today. Their primary role is to meet the needs of their electorate by introducing and maintaining policies that reflect the will of the people. They will also have to address outside influences, such as interest groups and the media. This can have a significant impact on their ability to meet those needs, especially when the interests of the economy conflict with the principles of a democratic government.