Government is the group of people who make decisions and enforce laws. Governments make rules that allow a society to function well and give citizens the benefits they deserve. These benefits can include things like education, transportation, and mail services. Governments also provide security and stability. Governments around the world have many different ways to organize themselves and allocate power, but most of them share a few basic goals. These goals include economic prosperity, secure borders, and the safety and well-being of citizens.

Governments collect money, called taxes, to pay for their activities. The amount of money a government takes in determines the level of services it can provide. This is why it is important for a citizen to know how his or her taxes are spent.

Most governments have a variety of ways to raise money. For example, some governments collect sales tax. Other governments, such as the United States, use a combination of income and property taxes.

Regardless of their funding model, most governments have to draft budgets that determine how the money will be used. On the local level, this includes deciding which city departments and schools should receive funds and what projects should be undertaken. Governments on the state and national levels make laws to guide these decisions. They also decide which public goods and services to prioritize. For example, if the community needs more public school teachers, they will have to allocate money for this. On the other hand, if there is an increase in crimes committed against residents, the police department may have to dedicate more resources to fighting them.

There are also questions about the proper role of government in a society. For example, some people believe that a government should be responsible for providing social programs to help the poor and needy in society. Others, however, are concerned that such programs are expensive ventures that can lead to dependency.

Most governments are composed of distinct institutions that are organized into separate branches with specific powers, functions, and duties. This arrangement is known as the separation of powers or a system of checks and balances. The framers of the Constitution believed that making any one branch too powerful caused big problems, so they set up rules that allowed each branch to check the actions of the others.

The United States has a federal government made up of the legislative branch (Congress), executive branch, and judicial branch. Congress makes the laws and consists of both the House of Representatives and Senate. There are 435 members of the House, with each state getting two representatives, and 100 senators (the number changes whenever a new state is added to the country). The President represents the nation when dealing with other nations. The judicial branch is the Supreme Court and other federal courts, and it interprets the laws. The executive branch implements and enforces the laws. In addition, it oversees the military and national parks. The United States also has several other agencies and offices that carry out the president’s policy initiatives.