PHILIPPINE HISTORY, POLITICS

GOVERNANCE & CONSTITUTION

Lesson No.
Date:

Lesson Title

Forms and Functions of Government

Lesson Targets

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Define government and its relation to the state
2. Examine the various types and purposes of governments
3. Compare the different governments established in the Philippines

Reference
Title
Author

Principles of Political Science

Aruego, J. & Aruego-Torres, G. (1981)

Page
Number(s)

119-154

The term government like nation is often used synonymously to mean the state. But
as we have learned in the previous module, the two terms differ in two respects: 1) the
government is only one of the elements of the state; and 2) a government can undergo a change
unlike the state which is permanent.
To delve deeper into the definition of government, lets take a look at its origin. The
word government actually came from the Latin word gubernare which means to steer, to
direct, or to control. From this meaning, we can say that a governments function is to direct or
administer the actions of its members or citizens. In other words, the government is an
institution that has the power or authority to institute public policies for its people. It is the one
that formulates, administers, executes and carries out the delivery of social and economic
services such as education, health, environmental protection, security, agriculture, and other
basic services (Bueno, n.d.).
I. FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
Different states in the world have different forms of government. The form of
government a particular state has can be classified based on three criteria: 1) the number of
persons in power; 2) the distribution of political powers in the government; and 3) the
relationships of the branches of government.
1. According to the Number of Persons in Power

a. Monarchy There is only one person who exercises supreme authority, which is
usually based on divine rights, bloodline or a constitution. This person is often called a king
or queen or an emperor. Monarchy can be further classified into two:
a.1 Absolute Monarchy A monarchy is considered absolute if the exercise of
sovereign power is despotic, which means the ruler has complete control over all parts of the
government. Modern examples of an absolute monarchy include Saudi Arabia and Brunei
Darussalam. The kings of these states are both the head of their state and government.
a.2 Limited Monarchy A monarchy is considered limited if the king or queen
choose to be guided y a body of rules and customs, which are generally embodied in a written
constitution. This is why a limited monarchy is also called a constitutional monarchy. Popular
examples of this include the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
b. Authoritarianism - This form of government can be headed by a single or a few
rulers, who has unrestrained powers. Authoritarianism denotes the absence of free elections
and the leaders are not accountable to the people. The important thing in this kind of
government is that the interests of the leader or ruling party are prioritized over the welfare of
the people. Usually, authoritarians rise be seizing power in the government through force or
violence. Ferdinand Marcos regime is an example of authoritarianism. He rose into power by
seizing government powers through the declaration of Martial Law. An example of an
authoritarian government held by a group is the Communist Party of China.
c. Democracy In this form of government, the supreme is vested in the people. The
word democracy actually came from the Greek words demos which means people and
kratos which means rule. Therefore, democracy means rule of the people. Democracy has
two kinds:
c.1 Direct Democracy In this form of government, the citizens make all the
decisions. They gather frequently to vote on laws, regulations, and appointments. There are no
elected representatives. Direct democracy was common in ancient Greece; today, it exists at a
local level in town hall meetings held throughout the United States.

c.2 Representative Democracy In this form of government, citizens elect

officials to act on their behalf. If the officeholders disappoint or anger them, the citizens can
choose new officials at the next elections. This type of government is also called a republic.
2. According to the Distribution of Powers in the Government
a. Unitary Government In a unitary state, the central or national government
has complete authority over all other political divisions or administrative units.
Philippines, for example, is a unitary state. Our national government has complete
authority over the different provinces, which are the administrative components of our
country.
b. Federal Government - The federal system of political organization is the exact
opposite of the unitary state. United States of America is an example of a federal
government. Its national government or federal government shares political authority
with the governments of the various states. In this type of government, the federal
republic handles, national security and defense, monetary policy, and other issues of a
"national" scope while more local issues such as road and infrastructure maintenance
and education policy are managed at the local level.

3. According to the Relationships of the Branches of Government

a. Presidential Government The chief executive in this form of government is
the President. A presidential system separates the executive and legislative functions of
the government and provides what are commonly called checks and balances to limit
the power of both the chief executive and the legislature. The chief executive and the
legislative members are elected separately by the people.
b. Parliamentary Government In a parliamentary government, the legislative
body holds the power in the government and is headed by a Prime Minister. Unlike in a
presidential system where the chief executive is independent of the legislative body, in
a parliamentary system the executive is answerable to the legislative body. Lastly, the

chief executive is not elected separately. In a parliamentary system, the legislature is

elected by the people and then must appoint or recommend for appointment one of its
members to be the chief executive.
II. FUNCTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT
Although various forms of government exist, all of them serve the same functions as an
instrument of the state. These include (Way, n.d.):
1. Domestic Order - A government must control the people it seeks to govern and
protect. It is the duty of the government, through enforcement of laws, to maintain
internal peace, protect its citizens from violence, safeguard property from theft or fraud,
facilitate legitimate business enterprises, and the like.
2. Military Defense - A political society's national, or central, government is responsible
for preserving the security of that society from foreign aggression. The government
maintains armed forces and, when necessary, utilizes them to protect the territory and
people it governs from attack and invasion by foreign powers.
3. Foreign Diplomacy As a sovereign state and a member of the international
community, it is the duty of the state to conduct formal peaceful relations with other
states. . In handling foreign diplomacy, governments of sovereign states negotiate,
bargain, compromise, and conclude treaties and alliances with each other. Foreign
diplomacy, together with maintaining domestic order and military defense, is one of the
oldest and most important functions of the government.
4. Protection of Civil Liberties - A most important function of government, especially
in democratic states, is to protect civil liberties--i.e., preserve and safeguard the basic
rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution to the individual members of the
society.

5. Promotion of Economic Growth and Development It is the responsibility of the

government of a state to facilitate and foster the growth and development of the
nation's overall economy. The government must actively pursue public policies for
economic development, especially in the areas of taxation and trade.
6. Social Welfare A government must provide assistance to its citizens. These
programs are designed to alleviate existing poverty, promote the education of its
citizens and protect the health of the public.
III. GOVERNMENTS ESTABLISHED IN THE PHILIPPINES
Before having the kind of government we have today, our country went through
different forms of government throughout our history. These include:
1. Barangay Government The barangays were virtually independent vllage-kingdom
just like the city-states of ancient Mesopotamia or Greece. It was ruled by a chieftain
called datu, raja, or hari, who obtained by the position by inheritance or by beingchosen
by the people as the strongest and ablest leader. The datu exercised great powers. In
times of peace, he was the chief executive, legislator, and judge. In times of war, he was
the commander of the barangay warriors. Despite his great powers, however, the datu
was not an absolute ruler. In making decisions about important matters such declaring
war with another brangay, he consults a council of the elderly for approval.
2. Spanish Colonial Government At the start of the Spanish colonial rule, the
Philippines was a dependency of Mexico, being administered directly by Mexican
viceroy in the name of the Spanish king. When Mexico became independent from Spain
in 1821, the Philippines became a Crown Colony, which means it is directly owned by
the Spanish king. The king appointed a governor-general to administer the Philippines.
The governor-general was the chief executive of the colonial government and the chief
commander of the armed forces. But because there was a political union of the Church
and State during the Spanish colonial era, the Catholic priests also exercise political

powers and influence. In fact, in the towns, the parish priest was the real power. He
supervised local elections, education, and taxation.
3. American Colonial Government The Americans established a civil government
during their occupation in the Philippines. The act provided for a governor general
appointed by the U.S. president and an elected lower house, the Philippine Assembly. It
also disestablished the Catholic Church as the state religion. Later on the Philippines
was granted autonomy to rule through the establishment of the Commonwealth
Government of the Philippines, where Manuel Quezon became president. The
Commonwealth as established in 1935 featured a very strong executive, a unicameral
national assembly, and a supreme court composed entirely of Filipinos for the first time
since 1901.
4. Japanese Colonial Government The Japanese required the Filipinos to create a new
constitution that provided for a Republic of the Philippines with tripartite powers:
Executive (President) Legislature (National Assembly) and Judiciary (Supreme Court).
The new government was composed of Filipino leaders. This, however, was a puppet
government as the real powers were exercised by the Japanese military commanders
who controlled and dictated the actions of the Filipinos.
5. Republic When the Philippines became independent, a republic was established. It
continued the use of the 1935 Constitution which reflected the political concepts of
American democracy and government. It specified provisions such as the separation of
the Church and State and the principle of state supremacy over the individual and the
exaltation of authority. The government was divided into three branches: the Executive
headed by the President and his Cabinet Members; the Legislative which is composed
of the Congress, which is further subdivided between the Upper House (Senate) and the
Lower House (Representatives) and the Judiciary (Supreme Court and the Lower
Courts). This structure of government was interrupted when Ferdinand Marcos

declared Martial Law in 1972. This was restored in 1986, with some amendments, when
Cory Aquino came to power.
6. Dictatorship In 1972, Ferdinand Marcos seized governmental powers by lacing the
Philippines under martial law. A constitutional amendment was made which gave him
more powers and provided for a parliamentary form of government where he is the
Prime Minister.
OTHER REFERENCES:
__________. Authoritarianism. Available at:
http://imej.wfu.edu/articles/1999/1/02/demo/Glossary/glossaryhtml/authoritarianism.
html
__________.Federal republic. Available at:
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Federal_republic.html
Bueno, C. (n.d.) Elements of a state. Available at: http://savior.hubpages.com/hub/Elements-ofState
Bueno, C. (n.d.) Forms of government. Available at: http://savior.hubpages.com/hub/TheForms-of-Government
Way, A. L. (n.d.) Politics and government: the essentials. Available at:
http://www.proconservative.net/CUNAPolSci201PartOneB2.shtml
Zaide, S. (1994). The Philippines: a unique nation. Quezon City: All-Nations Publishing
____________. Explaining Federal, State and Local Government Responsibilities in Virginia. Available
at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb/federal-state-local-government-responsibilities.pdf