Sunday, February 25, 2007

GOVERNMENT: FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE

What is a good government? Encarta defines a government as a political organization comprising the individuals and institutions authorized to formulate public policies and conduct affairs of state.

Governments are classified in many ways. Republic in which people elect representatives to exercise power for them and Monarchic often in European countries wherein a person has the heredity right to rule as head of state during his or her lifetime. Such rulers include kings and queens, emperors and empresses. Another classification embraces a dictatorial government whereby a leader rules a country with absolute power and usually by force and a democratic government where every citizen has the free and equal right to participate in decision-making processes.

Democracy comes from the two Greek words demos, meaning the people and kratein, meaning to rule. It is a government ruled by the people. But it doesn’t actually imply that everybody gets to be a leader. It is often practiced by the right to elect political leaders based on the majority.

A good government secures the common good of its members. Its citizens are entitled to certain rights which guarantee them to freedom, justice and equality. Under these rights falls the freedom of speech, of the press, to choose a religion, to due process of law, and so forth. To maintain peace and order, it enforces laws that impose penalties on violators. These regulations must ensure justice and protection to every citizen at all times, regardless of their race, religion, sex or other characteristics unrelated to the worth of an individual.

The government establishes and regulates a relationship between its people which comprises the social dealings within their community, their region, their country and other nations for it intends its country to become globally competitive.

A government of the people, for the people, and by the people, that basically is how a good government ought to be.

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