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Government
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<p>A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a <a href="/facts/State_(polity)/7ggBzTSk">state</a>. </p><p>In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of <a href="/facts/Legislature/ycUCe91S">legislature</a>, <a href="/facts/Executive_(government)/fPCCh3VU">executive</a>, and <a href="/facts/Judiciary/CvMkSB6T">judiciary</a>. Government is a means by which organizational <a href="/facts/Policies/0DtXG95q">policies</a> are enforced, as well as a mechanism for determining policy. In many countries, the government has a kind of <a href="/facts/Constitution/GppU7erf">constitution</a>, a statement of its governing principles and philosophy. </p><p>While all types of organizations have <a href="/facts/Governance/I4tEBlhT">governance</a>, the term <i>government</i> is often used more specifically to refer to the approximately 200 <a href="/facts/List_of_sovereign_states/0QSAv23N">independent national governments</a> and <a href="/facts/Government_agency/JtIrud40">subsidiary organizations</a>. </p><p>The main types of modern <a href="/facts/Political_system/FNQSMLxn">political systems</a> recognized are <a href="/facts/Democracy/3tLdVS1C">democracies</a>, <a href="/facts/Totalitarian_regime/Txc6sJvM">totalitarian regimes</a>, and, sitting between these two, <a href="/facts/Authoritarianism/88Kfm2gU">authoritarian regimes</a> with a variety of <a href="/facts/Hybrid_regime/dcFMYAMy">hybrid regimes</a>. Modern classification systems also include <a href="/facts/Monarchy/Kg1vY7tt">monarchies</a> as a standalone entity or as a hybrid system of the main three. Historically prevalent forms of government include monarchy, <a href="/facts/Aristocracy/sohMnhq1">aristocracy</a>, <a href="/facts/Timocracy/jrJc0qkD">timocracy</a>, <a href="/facts/Oligarchy/1PjREsee">oligarchy</a>, <a href="/facts/Democracy/3tLdVS1C">democracy</a>, <a href="/facts/Theocracy/RHWYhm6s">theocracy</a>, and <a href="/facts/Tyrant/SINzgmGP">tyranny</a>. These forms are not always mutually exclusive, and <a href="/facts/Mixed_government/KCCKrzNd">mixed governments</a> are common. The main aspect of any philosophy of government is how political power is obtained, with the two main forms being <a href="/facts/Election/oS1sLBlf">electoral contest</a> and <a href="/facts/Order_of_succession/RSIExRWd">hereditary succession</a>. </p>