The set of institutions and people that make and enforce collective rules for a society is the government. It claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a territory and provides public goods that markets alone do not supply.

Governments vary in form—democratic or authoritarian, unitary or federal, presidential or parliamentary—yet all perform core functions of security, lawmaking, and administration. They extract resources through taxation and regulate behavior through law. The quality of government affects economic performance, social trust, and individual freedom.

Citizens relate to government as subjects of authority, as recipients of services, and, in democracies, as ultimate principals who can replace rulers. Debates over the proper size and scope of government animate most political systems. Effective government requires both capacity and restraint: the ability to act and the discipline to remain within legal and normative bounds.

• Institutions that make and enforce collective rules
• Claims legitimate monopoly of force
• Provides security, law, and public goods
• Varies widely in form and quality