- Main differences between government and state
- 1. Temporality
- 2. Participation in the powers of the State
- 3. The members
- 4. The State has sovereignty while the government is limited
- 5. We are all members of the State
- 6. You can disagree with the government
- 7. There are different forms of government
- 8. The territories of the nation belong to the State
- References
The difference between State and government refers to the oppositions that exist between both concepts. It is usual for people to confuse these concepts as synonyms, however, State and government are different notions where each one has different characteristics.
When we speak of the State, we refer to all the public institutions that are in charge of regulating the activities of a country. For this reason, the State is defined as a political organization that is governed by laws and that acts independently and timelessly (that is, it does not have a time limit).
Source: pixabay.com
Instead, the government can be defined as a temporary administration of a part of the state. Furthermore, it is made up of a group of officials who act according to a specific political position. For example, a government can be socialist, far-right, social democratic, among others.
Main differences between government and state
1. Temporality
The main difference between state and government is that the former is permanent, while the latter is temporary. In other words, the State remains in time under any circumstance, while the government will change according to different political circumstances.
This occurs -for example- after holding the presidential elections, when a new government assumes power.
2. Participation in the powers of the State
Another difference between the State and the government is in the participation that both have within the public powers, these being the executive, legislative and judicial. On the one hand, the state administers and represents the three branches, while the government only administers the executive branch for a limited period of time.
In other words, the State is made up of the executive, legislative and judicial powers; instead, governments only exercise control of executive power temporarily. For this reason it is affirmed that the government is part of the State.
3. The members
When we talk about a government, it is easy to recognize its members (that is, the president, vice president and ministers). In fact, citizens have the right to elect these members by voting and choose them according to their political preferences or ideologies.
On the other hand, the State is rather an abstract concept because its members are not physical figures: a State is made up of the organization, territories and laws of each country. That is why it is affirmed that the State is immaterial, while the government is a perceptible and physical institution.
Citizens have the right to elect members of the government by vote. Source: pixabay.com
4. The State has sovereignty while the government is limited
Sovereignty consists of a supreme power of a political and independent nature that does not suffer from foreign interruptions. Consequently, it is affirmed that the State possesses sovereignty; since it exercises its authority in an unlimited and absolute way. Furthermore, no other institution can interfere with it.
On the other hand, the government is not sovereign since its powers are limited. Likewise, it receives its powers thanks to the laws established in the constitution.
For example, in most constitutions it is stated that the government will be selected through secret and universal vote. The same document establishes how long that government will last in the executive power (usually a period between four and six years).
On the other hand, the constitution does not state that a state can be modified, since it is part of it.
5. We are all members of the State
Political scientists affirm that all citizens are part of the state, even if they do not hold political office. This happens because all people are supported by the laws and organizations of the State.
On the other hand, the government cannot be made up of all citizens (even if they are the ones who elect it by vote). Rather, its members are generally people related to political and legal studies.
In conclusion, the government has certain members, while the State includes all the people that make up a nation.
6. You can disagree with the government
All citizens have the right to disagree with the policies of the government in power. In fact, each government has opposition parties, which are political groups that have different leanings and interests for the nation.
In addition, citizens can protest to request a change of government in case it has not met expectations or is violating any law.
As for the State, no person can act against it, because it is an indestructible institution characterized by its permanence and sovereignty.
Citizens can protest to request a change of government in case it has not met expectations. Source: pixabay.com
7. There are different forms of government
The types of government can change according to the needs and traditions of each country. For example, today some nations retain monarchical governments. This means that the executive power is in the hands of a king, as in the United Kingdom.
Likewise, there are countries whose governments are democratic, where executive power is exercised by the president. In this case, power is not hereditary (as in monarchies) but rather it is the citizens who elect the president. This type of government can be found in various countries around the world, such as France or the United States.
This means that governments do not have rigorous standards and can undergo modifications, while the State is a universal system that has very particular characteristics that change very little over time.
8. The territories of the nation belong to the State
Some political scientists claim that the state has complete authority over the territories of their nation; therefore, the State must watch over and protect the entire territorial extension of the country that corresponds to it.
Likewise, the laws that are implemented by the current government can be applied in all parts of the national territory, however, these areas continue to belong to the State and not to the government.
For example, all the territories of Mexico belong to the State of Mexico. If the government in power wishes, it can implement laws that improve national security in these territories, however, said government does not own those lands.
References
- Barros, S. (2016) Studies on state, government and public administration. Retrieved on March 2, 2020 from library.clacso.edu.ar
- Cajal, A. (sf) What are the differences between the State and the government? Retrieved on March 2, 2020 from Lifeder.com
- Castillero, O. (sf) The four differences between State and government. Retrieved on March 2, 2020 from Psychology and Mind: psicologiaymente.com
- Fernández, S. (2017) What is the difference between the State and the Government? Retrieved on March 2, 2020 from Education a how: educacionuncomo.com
- Magazine of the Rosario Stock Exchange, (nd) The confusion between State and government. Retrieved on March 2, 2020 from bcr.com.ar
- Robinson, E. (2013) The distinction between State and government. Retrieved on March 2, 2020 from onlinelibrary.wiley.com
- SA (sf) 9 main differences between State and government. Retrieved on March 2, 2020 from yourarticlelibrary.com
- SA (sf) State (polity). Retrieved on March 2, 2020 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org