Government is the system of authority that a society establishes to accomplish goals and provide benefits the community needs. For example, a government might build schools and roads, protect citizens’ rights, provide health care and national security, or manage natural resources. Governments are found worldwide and can take many forms, but they share some features. For instance, all government systems are based on an authoritative document (constitution) that establishes the nature of the government and its powers.
A key feature of any government is its ability to regulate access to common goods like fish in the ocean and fresh water, which all people may use but are in limited supply. Governments also protect these goods so that a few people do not take too much and leave others with nothing.
In the United States, government officials work to accomplish these tasks through a process of checks and balances between three branches of power. A student interested in learning about the basics of American government can start with free online courses from Crash Course, Khan Academy, and Harvard or with a book like Democracy in America by James Madison. Then, to understand the complexities of American politics, a student can explore federalism and read the Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, which inspired the Framers to create a constitution that would secure individual freedoms. Finally, a student can learn more about how laws are made by watching YouTube videos or taking a class offered by universities and community colleges.