SUBJECT MATTER OF GOVERNMENT

The word "government" is derived from the Latin words "GuberNaculum" meaning the framework through which the executive functions, judicial functions, and legislative functions as well as administrative business of the state are carried out. In other words, government can be seen as the administrative machinery (i.e the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary) of the state for the imposition of order and enforcement of its will. Simply put, government is a body that makes law and enforce law for the general well-being of the society. According to Appadorai (1975), government is an agency or machinery through which the will of the state is formulated, expressed and realized.

In the same vein, government constitutes the political authority of the state. However, government in the widest sense involves the legislature (rule making), the executive (rule-application) and the judiciary (rule-adjudication). According to Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679) a state without government will degenerate into a state of anarchy where life brutish, nasty, solitary, poor, ugly and short. Hence, there is no society that has operated for long without some sort of government.

Be that as it may, the scholars have argued that, government can also be explained along three main interpretations. These are

1. Government as body or institution of governance 

2. Government as an art or process of governing.

3. Government as an academic field of study.

Government as a body or institution of governance refers to the mechanism that guides, control and direct the affairs of a state or country. It is the body vested with power to control the conduct of the affairs of the state. The institution of a state are broadly categorise into formal and informal institutions. The formal institutions are legislature, executive and judiciary while the informal institutions comprises the pressure groups, political party and trade union. To that extent, Government in this context refers to the institution of a state because it is formed and established for the common decision of the people of the land who choose to come together and have a common destiny. In that instance, is therefore necessary as an institution of the state because it transferred the state from a state of abstractness to the state of reality and recognitions. It regulates individual's relationship and provide for the fundamental human rights of the people as well as the protection of citizens from both internal and external aggression.

According to Thomas Hobbes, a state without a well-organised government is a primitive state or society where life would be solitary, poor; nasty, Brutish and short. Government as an institution is therefore necessary to prevent anarchy. Individuals therefore has to submit to a control leadership called government such government (institution) is responsible for the regulation of the conduct of the people.

Government as an art or process of governing refers to how the various arms of government carry out their assigned functions and it equally means the processes that are involved in the governing of a state. In the process of governing a state, government is divided into different arms and levels, which include the legislature, judiciary, and executive arms of government. In that instance, one can posits that government as an art or process of governing refers to the process through which the executive, legislature and judicial organs (Arms of government) carry out their assigned functions and responsibilities.

The legislative arm is responsible for law making; such laws must not be arbitrary but should be based on critical assessment and collection of relevant information. The executive arm performs the activity of the implementation of these laws made by legislature. The executive mobilizes all the necessary machinery to ensure the implementation of adequate policies and laws made by the legislature.

Most times, problems often confront the implementation of policies; these problems are resolved by the judiciary. The judiciary performs a crucial role in explaining or interpreting the laws properly (Arbiter). It is therefore seen that the levels of government such as federal government, state and local government as well as the organs of government (legislature, executive, and judiciary) are all necessary for the effective running of the affairs of a state.

Government as an academic field of study: As a field of study, government is seen as a branch of human Endeavour that studies the agencies, institutions and the forces that operate in the state. Government as a field of study or academic discipline addressed in the school curriculum as one of the principal subjects like economics, geography, physics, mathematics, history etc. it is studied as government in the secondary school whereas in the higher institution, the subject is renamed as political science, the analytical and empirical (Scientific) study of politics

The study of government or political science involves the study of arrangement (Mechanism) for the solution of conflict, process of decision-making and resources allocation. Government as an academic field also have sub-discipline; or field such as political theory, comparative government, international relation, public administration, local government etc

Government as a field of study also relate to or borrow from other branches of study such as economics, sociology, psychology, philosophy, history, geography etc.

As a field of study, government permit an individual for logical thinking, it prepares citizens to be involved in the governing process and enlighten citizen of their fundamental human rights as well as creating national consciousness and patriotism in them.

Sequel to the above, the study of government can be very resourceful to the knowledge of human being, human interaction and to the entire society.


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