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Governance

Definition

Governance refers to the various ways in which a society or an organization is managed or controlled. It includes the processes, systems, and laws used by leaders to ensure order and make decisions.

Analogy

Think of governance like the operating system on your smartphone. Just as your phone's OS manages all the apps, keeps everything running smoothly, and ensures that rules are followed (like not letting one app hog all your battery), governance sets up structures and rules for how a society functions.

Related terms

Constitutional Monarchy: A form of government where a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written or unwritten one.

Democracy: A system of government where power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.

Autocracy: A system of government in which supreme power over a country is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.