Government refers to the body of people and institutions that make and enforce laws for a society. It
has been said that there are no societies of man without governments and different societies necessarily
require different forms of government. But although these governments vary from one form to another,
they share some characteristics. These characteristics are best seen once government is compared to
other social organizations.
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own police force or armed forces, nor has the
power to punish erring members with death.
It is important to take note that the uniqueness of States (and their governments) lies on the concept of
sovereignty and independence.
However, the recent actual and theoretical challenges to the concept of State sovereignty (by
International Governmental organizations, like the United Nations and the European Union) and
independence (from Multinational Corporations like the Philip – Morris International, Toyota, and Ford
Motors and other world organizations like the IMF and the World Bank) have caused the diminishing
importance of States as actors in international politics.