Government and Governance

Modern Political Concepts

28th September 2020
Solano Da Silva

1
CLASS OBJECTIVE >>

To understand what is meant by government in relation to

the state and to understand what is meant by governance in
the study of politics.

1) Working definitions of Government and Governance

2) Relationships/distinction: State and Government
3) Branches of Government
4) Levels of Government
5) Governance
6) Normative theories on Government

2
1. WORKING DEFINITIONS GOVERNMENT & GOVERNANCE
• BROAD/GENERIC DEFINITION:

Government refers to the systems or institutions through

which social life is controlled, organised and/or
coordinated.

• SPECIFIC DEFINITION:

Government refers specifically to the formal

organisations and institutions of the state which
maintain order and facilitate collective action in a given
society.

3
1. WORKING DEFINITIONS GOVERNMENT & GOVERNANCE
• BROAD DEFINITION
Governance refers to the various ways by which social life
is organised, regulated and their activities coordinated.

Ways = processes, practices by which social life is

organised, behaviour regulated and activities
coordinated.

• SPECIFIC TO THE STUDY OF POLITICS

Governance refers to the ways, processes and activities

through which the state manages power and policy,
through the instrument of the government.
4
2. DISTICTION: STATE AND GOVERNMENT >>
STATE
• Has five constituent elements.
• Enjoys original or unlimited
powers.
• The state is a non-physical abstract
corporate entity.
• Territory is essential for a state.
• State is permanent institution.
• State is a universal phenomena
(essential character).
• Opposing the state is serious
(treason).
• State comprises of all citizens.
GOVERNMENT
• An agency of the state.
• Powers are delegated and limited.
• Consists of concrete set of
institutions.
• Rare cases of governments
without a territory.
• Rare cases where governments
may be temporary or collapse.
• Governments can take different
forms or regimes.
• People usually have rights to
oppose governments.
• Government comprises of only
those who work for Government.
5
3. BRANCES OF GOVERNMENT >>

In order to implement the will of the state governments

have two abilities:

(1) to make collective decisions and

(2) to implement or execute these decisions.

6
3. BRANCES OF GOVERNMENT >>
(1) The Legislature: law making and policy formulation

(2) The Executive: to implement laws/policies

(3) The Judiciary: to interpret laws and to adjudicate

disputes.

7
4. LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT >>
Supra-national Government

• For e.g. the EU where sovereignty is shared between

member states and the Central EU authority

8
4. LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT >>
Intergovernmental bodies

• Are usually formed when sovereign states enter into

treaties, agreements and alliances with each other.
• E.g. include: the UN, WTO, NATO, ASEAN, SAARC,
OPEC, and The Commonwealth.

9
4. LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT >>
State Governments:
• Referred to a national, central or federal
governments.

10
4. LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT >>
Provincial Governments:
• The creation of sub-national governments at the state and
provincial levels.
 For e.g. the reorganisation of Indian states that was done
in 1956.
• The sharing of powers between the central government and
the state governments (or in other words the division of
sovereignty between the Central Government and the
Provincial Governments) is called federalism.

11
4. LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT >>
Provincial Governments:

12
4. LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT >>
Local bodies of government
• The creation of local bodies of government (the process of creating
lower/subordinate bodies of government is called decentralisation).
• For e.g. the devolution of powers to Village Panchayats and
Municipalities in India during 1992/1993
• When a higher/superior body of government passes powers down to
a lower body it is called devolution).

13
5. GOVERNANCE >>
1. Hierarchies: controlling social life by forming top-down
social relationships/superior and sub-ordinate structures
• Traditional understanding of formal governance

14
5. GOVERNANCE >>
2. Markets: based on argument that state-governments
should ‘steer’ rather than ‘row’?
• Markets are seen as being more efficient than
governments and bureaucracies in service delivery.

15
5. GOVERNANCE >>
3. Networks: governance through the creation of
partnerships, alliances of cooperation between the state
and market actors, and voluntary organisations

16
6. NORMATIVE THEORIES ON GOVERNMENT >>
Aristotle:

No. of Rulers Ideal Perverted

One Monarchy Tyranny
Few Aristocracy Oligarchy
Many Polity Democracy

17
6. NORMATIVE THEORIES ON GOVERNMENT >>
Conservatives:

Government is important
• Government is an alliance with the past
• With other traditional authorities
• Works using the coordinates of tradition

The state of nature ‘…solitary, poor, nasty,

brutish, and short’ – Thomas Hobbes

18
6. NORMATIVE THEORIES ON GOVERNMENT >>
Liberals:

• Viewed as a necessary evil

1. Needed for a guarantor of freedom
2. But danger or tendency to encroach on
liberties
• Ought to be minimal
• Progressive/interventionist because seeks to
guarantee promotion and protection of individual
liberties

19
6. NORMATIVE THEORIES ON GOVERNMENT >>
Socialist:

• Governments tend to be congealed elite interests

• But if controlled by the masses could be used to
widespread welfare
• Progressive/interventionist in terms of ensuring
widest fulfilment of basic goods

20
6. NORMATIVE THEORIES ON GOVERNMENT >>
Anarchism:

• Governments are evil and unnecessary

• Society can be organised without governments
• Collectivist and individualist alternatives

21
REFERENCES

Heywood, A. (2000) ‘Government/Governance’ in Key Concepts in

Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 19 – 21.

Tansey, S. D. (2000) ‘Levels of Government’ in Politics: The Basics (2nd

ed.) London: Routledge, pp. 161 – 166.

22