لخّصلي

Government is a system of people and rules for managing a community or country. Governments set the laws and make sure the laws are followed. A government can cover a community of many different sizes, including small towns, large cities, counties, states, and nations. There are even organizations that serve as governing bodies over many countries. The United Nations represents the entire world.
The word “government” comes from a Greek word meaning “to pilot a ship.” The idea of a ship has often been used to represent the state or community. A ship’s crew steers a ship towards a destination and tries to avoid storms at sea. Similarly, a government may try to steer its people towards better lives while avoiding war, crime, economic troubles, and other problems that can harm the population.
The concept of what a government should be and how it should be formed has changed much throughout history. New ideas and important events have led to new forms of government. The various types of government can be explained by tracking their progress through history.
In the earliest types of government, the people had little or no real freedom. There was a clear dividing line between the rulers and the people they ruled. In those nations, the government was organized to benefit the wealth and power of very few people. Most of these rulers were monarchs, another name for kings and queens. Some monarchs acquired power through military might, while others inherited power from their father or mother. Examples of monarchy can be found in the history of many countries. Ancient Egypt was led by monarchs known as pharaohs, who ruled from as far back as 2600 BC until Egypt became part of the Roman Empire in 30 BC. In Egypt and other empires, including China, power stayed in one family for a long time as one member after another became the monarch. These periods were known as dynasties.
In about the 4th century BC, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato conceived of another type of government. He thought that rulers should be people who were worthy, instead of people who inherited power or won it through military means. This type of government was called an aristocracy. In theory, a small group of the wisest people would govern a country in an aristocracy. However, the examples of aristocracy throughout history have usually seen power in the hands of a few wealthy people or religious leaders. When a government is composed of a few rulers who seek to benefit only themselves, the type of government is called an oligarchy.
As people grew dissatisfied with their rulers, a new type of government was born: democracy. The word democracy means “rule by the people.” The earliest form of democracy was in ancient Greece. In some cases, Greek towns were so small that the entire population would gather together to decide on issues of government. But in the large Greek city-states, the people were ruled by a small group who represented them in the affairs of government. This type of government is known as a representative democracy. It is similar to the modern government in the United States, where senators, congressmen, and other leaders represent large groups of people from their home states and regions.
Representative democracy may seem like aristocracy, because only a few people manage the government. However, in a democracy the people choose their leaders, and if they feel they are not being represented, they can elect new representatives. On the other hand, the earliest form of democracy in ancient Greece was not entirely democratic, because it did not represent all the people. Only the rich landowners could vote, and women and slaves were not considered citizens.