Government may be broadly defined as a political organization comprising the individuals

and institutions authorized to formulate and enforce laws and public policies and conduct
affairs of the State.

The term may also be defined as a system of social control under which the right to make
laws and policies and implement them and the right to rule a country is vested in a particular
group of persons or an institution.

The functions performed by a government may be stated as follows:

(a) It formulates laws and enforces them to maintain law and order in the country so
that people could live in peace and harmony. Laws are meant to regulate the
behaviour of people.

(b) One of the important purposes of government is to provide essential services to

promote the general welfare of the people. These are: public health and safety;
public parks and recreational facilities; public utilities such as water,
electricity and telecommunication facilities; education; transportation; trade;
etc.

(c) A third function of government is to protect its citizens from foreign aggression
or internal subversion. Protecting its national security and defending its
national sovereignty is a majn concern of every country.

(d) Governments formulate and implement various policies to resolve issues or

problems or to promote economic stability and growth. Foreign investment
policy, development policy, science and technology policy, welfare policy,
fiscal policy, trade policy, poverty eradication policy, etc are some of the
policies enforced by a government.

(e) Governments interact with other countries and build political, economic, cultural,
diplomatic and trade relations with them for mutual benefit. They also take
part in discussions in international and regional organizations and contribute
towards resolving various global issues, concerns and problems.
(f)

Governments administer justice by establishing courts in the country. Judges

interpret the laws and apply them to both criminal and civil cases and pass
judgements.

(g) Governments protect the rights and liberties of the citizens.

(h) Regulation of business, trade and other matters is yet another function of the
government. The regulatory functions of the government is designed to
safeguard the general publics welfare. In Malaysia, the Securities
Commission protects investors by establishing guidelines for the registration
of new share issues as well as the buying and selling of stocks and bonds.
Licensing, regulating safety and working conditions in the workplace are all
part of the regulatory functions of the government.

THE STATE

DEFINITION

A State is a political community that occupies a definite or fixed territory and

has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without
approval from any higher authority. States maintain control over the people living

within their territory. Malaysia, India, the United States, the Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand are examples of states.
Other definitions of state

A state is an independent political society situated within defined limits whose

citizens are bound together with ties of mutual protection and assistance.
(Burns)

The state is a person organized for law within a definite territory. (Woodrow
Wilson)

The state is a political community of free citizens, occupying a territory of

defined boundaries and organized under a government sanctioned and limited
by a written constitution and established by the consent of the governed.
(Watkins)

4. The state is a community or society politically organised under one

independent government within a definite territory.

5.
A state is an independent political society occupying a definite territory, the
members of which are united together for the purpose of resisting external
force and the preservation of internal order. (O. Hood Phillips)

Essential characteristics / features of the State

The States that make up todays political world (i.e. 193 states) possess four
essential elements population, territory, government and sovereignty.

Population. A state must have people, so the first essential of a state is

population. Obviously, there can be no state without people. Population as a
characteristic of the state includes both those who rule and those who are ruled.
As citizens, people possess both rights and duties. The population of Malaysia,
a multi-racial country, is about 27 million people. It is estimated that by the year
2050 that figure may go as high as 43 million. The size of the population cannot
be fixed. In other words, it is impossible to lay down any standard rule as to the
number of people required to form a State. The safe rule is that the population
should be self-sufficient to meet all their necessary requirements. In any case,
economic self-sufficiency is essential for the stability of a state. The quality of the
people is also important. Modern states vary greatly in respect of population. Big
states like the Peoples Republic of China has a population of 1.3 billion; India
has a population of 1.1 billion; the United States of America has a population of
276 million. Small states like Singapore has a population of 4 million and the
Vatican City, the worlds smallest state, has a population of about 1,000. The
population of a state need not belong to a single race, religion, language or
culture. It is not necessary that every state must have a homogeneous (people
that are all the same) population. The modern state claims to
reconcile/safeguard the interests of various groups of citizens.

Territory. No state can be formed without a definite and fixed territory. A state
has land with known and recognized boundaries. In other words, every nation
occupies a specific geographical area. As in the case of population, no limit is set
for the territory of a State. The modern states differ considerably in respect of
the size of territory. The total area of the United States of America is, for
example, 9,629,091 sq km. In contrast, the Russian Federation has a total area
of 17,075,400 sq km; Canada has a total area of 9,9976,140 sq km; Singapore
has a territory measuring 692.7 sq km; Malaysia has a total area of about
329,750 sq km. The territory of a state includes land, water (rivers, lakes, sea)
and air space. Generally, the territory of a state is contiguous (i.e. next or
together in sequence / sharing a common border). The exact location and shape
of political boundaries are often a source of conflict and dispute between states
and have often led to war or referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for
a decision. Territory symbolises the sphere of authority or sovereignty of the
state. It gives a sense of security and great opportunities for a fuller life for its
citizens. It is an object of sentimental attachment. People love and worship their
motherland. They are prepared to make supreme sacrifices for its protection.

Government. Another essential element of the state is government. Every state

has some form of government. Government is the institution, the political
organization and the agent or machinery through which the objectives of the
state are carried out. The State, through the government, makes and enforces
laws and policies that are binding on all people living in the state. If the state
represents an abstract concept, the government is its concrete form. The
authority of the state is exercised by the government. In the absence of the
government there will be anarchy disorder, chaos and confusion in the country.

No government, no state. Somalia, where there is no legitimate government, is a

recent example of the dangers of anarchy. The government functions through its
three organs, namely, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The
Legislature enacts the laws; the Executive administers the country and enforces
(implements) the laws; the Judiciary interprets and applies the laws to cases that
come before it. Those who violate the laws are punished by the government.
The government is responsible for the maintenance of law and order; the
provision/delivery of public services like defence, national security, education,
health and medical, transportation, issue of currency, utilities and conduct of
foreign relations, etc. Furthermore, the government is entitled to impose and
collect taxes for the provision of such services and for financing its other
activities. No particular form of government is essential. It varies from country to
country.

The form of government depends upon the nature of the state which in turn
depends largely upon the political thought and character of the people.
Democracy may be popular in India, the United States, Malaysia, Canada,
Australia and the United Kingdom. The dictatorship of the Communist parties is
popular in the Peoples Republic of China, Vietnam, North Korea and Cuba.
Constitutional Monarchy is popular in Malaysia, Denmark, the United Kingdom
and Sweden. Even in countries where democracy is popular, the form of
government differs. There is parliamentary government in some countries and
presidential system of government in some other countries. Most large countries
have several different levels of government. These usually include a central or
national government, as well as the governments of smaller divisions within the
country, such as provinces, states, counties, cities, towns, cantons, rural districts
and villages. There are two main kinds of government plans/systems in the world
today. Most modern states have either a unitary system of government or a
federal system. A unitary form of government gives all key powers to the central
government. State, provincial or other local governments are created by the
central or national government. These governments have only the powers given
to them by the central government. The United Kingdom, Italy, France, Japan,
Singapore and New Zealand are examples of unitary government. A federal
system of government divides the powers of government between the national
or central government and state or provincial governments. Both the national
government and state governments enact laws that directly affect the people.
Malaysia has a federal form of government. Other countries with federal systems
include Canada, Australia, United States, Switzerland, Mexico, India and
Germany.

Sovereignty. The last essential characteristic of a state is sovereignty. Without

sovereignty, there can be no state in the legal sense. It is sovereignty which
distinguishes the state from other organizations. Sovereignty means that the
state possesses supreme and absolute power over its citizens and within its
territorial boundaries. It has complete independence. A state has supreme
power to make laws and decisions; to formulate domestic and foreign policies;
to issue orders and commands which are binding on all citizens and to
determine its own course of action. Without sovereignty, there would be

lawlessness and anarchy in the state. In theory, at least, a state is independent

of other states and no state has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of
another state.

Moreover, because every state is considered sovereign, every state is equal with
respect to legal rights and duties at least in theory. In practice, of course, states
with great economic strength (like the United States and Japan) and military
capabilities (such as the United States, Russia, China) have more power than
smaller states. Thus, the United States, France, Germany. United Kingdom, Japan
and Russia exercise more influence in world politics today than do states like
Kenya, Nigeria, Bolivia or Peru. Bolstering sovereign independence is diplomatic
recognition by other countries, especially by the major powers. Recognition
(pengiktirafan) is an official announcement by one country that it is prepared to
have dealings (political and trade relations) with another country. If most of the
important nations recognize a new country, it automatically confers a certain
legitimacy on it. If no one recognizes the country, its claim to exist is doubtful.

Theories of the Origin of the State