Final answer:
Government is an institution that allocates authority within a society to achieve collective goals and provide benefits, like public services and national security, critical to that society's needs. It includes making and enforcing laws and decisions that influence everyday life and is essential for the functioning of modern societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Government can be defined as the institution through which a society organizes itself and how it allocates authority to accomplish collective goals and provide benefits that the society as a whole needs. Specifically, government refers to the institutions and individuals that have recognized authority to make and enforce laws, decisions, and actions on behalf of the citizens of a nation or territory. The roles of government include providing stability, crucial services like education and public safety, regulating access to common goods, creating a structure for citizens to express their needs and opinions, and seeking to accomplish goals like economic prosperity, secure national borders, and the safety and well-being of its citizens.
Governments also deliver public services such as police and fire service, which are examples of public goods, meaning they are made available to all citizens without exclusion. In addition, the government is responsible for creating and executing laws and making decisions that form the core of a state or country. This includes managing functions like taxation, homeland security, immigration, foreign affairs, and education, all of which are essential to a modern society's effective functioning.