National Government

History of the National Government

The following commentary about National Government in the Churchill Era is produced by the Churchill College (Cambridge): A Government with Ministers drawn from all the major political parties, normally formed in time of war or national emergency.

National Governments Worldwide

There are almost two hundred independent nations around the world. National governments directly, or indirectly through territorial governments, administer every inch of claimed land on the planet. The most significant determinant as to whether an entity is in fact an independent nation is the notion of sovereignty. It can not be subordinate to another state or governmental entity. Additional criteria include: the exclusive representation of a physical sector of land; the existence of a population of human beings; the existence of a government constituted to officially represent those people; and the recognition of the state as being sovereign and independent by other states or international bodies. The last of these, however, is not an absolute disqualifier. It is important to note international recognition as an indication of general acceptance and legitimacy, but the lack of recognition does not alter a state’s de facto sovereignty over its territory and people.

With a few exceptions, all nations share a common general structure of government. Functions are divided among executive, legislative, and judicial spheres. The executive usually consists of a head of state, a head of government, and a cabinet of the heads of various government ministries and agencies. A national legislature, either unciameral or bicameral, and sometimes councils and agencies subordinate to the legislature, comprise most nations’ legislative instutions. Judicial institutions usually include a constitutional court, a supreme or appeals court, and a high court of criminal justice; often these are combined in some fashion or are further subdivided for different areas of the law. Also, most nations have a tiered system of government whereby a federal government shares or cedes responsibilities to local governments to allow for an element of local control and flexibility.
Except for nations with mandated one-party rule or nations in their infancy, all nations have various parties or factions that bring differing ideologies and approaches to government problems. Nations which have proportional representation in their legislatures generally have multiple parties which significantly affect the national discussion, while nations with single-seat representation often end up with no more than two or three major parties. When a large number of parties exist, coalitions and fronts are often formed in order to govern, or to oppose government, with a cohesive majority. Such coalitions are for the most part temporary, often only for the scope of one election.