Organs of Government

What is Governance?

Governance refers to the system by which any social group is controlled and enabled to operate.

Governance of groups is not optional. As previously proposed, it is a primal need. It is required to handle and balance the psychosocial pressure for autonomy felt by every person.

Its manifestation depend on the nature and size of the social group.

Organisations have a particular need to manage people, harnessing and directing their autonomous efforts, and require a board of directors.
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By law, formal organizations are required to have a governing body, called the Board. Sometimes there is more than one governing board e.g. a Supervisory Board and an Advisory Board.

A complex project within an organization may require a Steering Committee, which typically handles governance functions for those in the project.

For details on the operation of Boards in organisations, see Ch. 12 in Working with Values, especially Master-Table 38.

For society, governance is handled by "the government".

What is The Government?

Governing society is a complicated endeavour. In order to carry all potential tasks a society may require, an extremely large number of social bodies are required. These bodies can be grouped into a lesser number of «organs».

Properties of Organs

All organs of government have the following features:

  • each is concerned to maintain society-as-a-whole
  • each is essential for society
  • each possess a distinctive function
  • each requires a distinctive training, education or preparation
  • each attracts a distinctive personality, talents and interests

It follows from this list that switches of allegiance between organs does not easily occur.

Constituent Organs

The conventional «separation of powers» model only identified 3 organs: legislature, judiciary, executive. However, this does not represent the reality.

Head of State (or Monarch): Represents a unity of the society and so lies above politics.

Legislature (or Parliament): Political bodies with elected members that make laws and regulations binding on all.

Judiciary: Appointed members who adjudicate disputes or crimes according to the law, and defends members of society against state power.

Executive: Political body that identifies societal needs and societal solutions, implements laws, and manages the working of other organs to a greater or lesser degree.

Bureaucracy (or Civil Service): Impartial bodies staffed by professionals and experts that implement policy by drafting laws, providing services and running projects.

Military (including security-intelligence services): Protects against internal threats like rebellion or secession; and threats from other societies.

Priesthood (in religious societies only): Mediates spiritual needs and activities.

Societies vary greatly in the structure of the organs, the allocation of powers, and the checks and balances between the organs.

Originally posted: 25-Apr-2025