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What is the government? |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
Govern this!
When someone refers to “the government,” they are usually referring to the people or officials who serves as the main authority in a certain region or organization. Government officials are often responsible for making laws and decisions on behalf the people they represent.
Every country has a form of government, and sometimes there are smaller governments within a country, such as for an individual city or state. Depending on the place, the government is made up of different officials such as a president, prime minister, kings or queens, senators, governors, mayors, judges, and more! Governments in many places are elected, meaning that people vote on who is going to represent them.
Having governments to lead groups of people is nothing new – societies all over the world have had evolving forms of government for thousands of years!
Govern this!
Have you ever daydreamed about what it would be like to live on an exotic, deserted island with just your family and your friends and their families? While it would be neat to eat coconuts all day and swim in the ocean, how do you think your group might find themselves needing to form some type of government?
For example, if there was a dispute over who was allowed to eat the coconuts from a certain tree, would it be helpful to have a government to make laws and guidelines for these things? What type of government would you want your island to have, and why??
