A government is the system or group of people that governs an organized community, usually a country. Governments make laws, enforce rules, and control their people and resources. Government is usually based on an agreed-upon set of principles and values, which are written down in a document called a constitution. Governments are made up of many different kinds of people. They can be based on the power of one person (an autocracy), of a small group of people (an oligarchy or aristocracy), or of all the people in a nation (a democracy). Governments have many jobs, including making sure that citizens get good education and health care, protecting property from theft, enforcing traffic laws, providing public safety, and maintaining national parks. They also manage natural resources like water, land, and wildlife.

Governments have three levels: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Each level is designed to keep the other two from becoming too powerful. This is called the system of checks and balances.

The legislative branch is best known as Congress, and its job is to make laws. The President signs the bills that Congress passes into law, or vetoes them. The judicial branch interprets the laws, and the President nominates judges to the Supreme Court and other courts. Congress confirms or rejects these nominees, and can remove the President from office if necessary. The system of checks and balances makes it hard for any one branch to become too powerful.

Many governments protect their citizens’ freedom of speech, the press, and religion. They may also provide goods and services that citizens need, such as roads, fire departments, police, and hospitals. Governments also create and run schools, and provide money to research new products. They may also have offices to oversee international relations and trade.

One of the most important things a government does is regulate access to common goods, such as wildlife, public lands, and water. If too many people take freely from these resources, there won’t be any left for others. Governments make laws to limit the number of people who can use these resources, and they charge fees or taxes to help pay for them.

Some governments have military forces to protect them from other countries that might want to attack or invade them. They have diplomats who communicate with leaders of other countries, and try to solve problems and disagreements between nations.

Many governments are democratic, meaning that the people elect a small group of their fellow citizens to represent them and make decisions for them. They usually have a constitution that defines their power and limits their activities. Other governments are monarchies, dictatorships, or totalitarian states. A government’s constitution is an important tool for understanding how the country is governed. It is often written in plain language, so that the average citizen can understand it. A constitution also helps to keep the government accountable to its people, by setting out what rights and responsibilities citizens have.