civil government
Nonmilitary public administration
Civil government is the system of institutions and officials that administers public affairs in a society—the machinery of laws, courts, and executive authority that maintains order and provides services.
The term often appears in contexts distinguishing secular governmental authority from religious or military rule: The constitution established civil government separate from the church.
In political philosophy, civil government contrasts with the state of nature.
- law enforcementUpholding legal codes
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
- statutesFormally enacted laws
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- founding fathersMale originators of institutions
bill of rights · executive branch · democracy · policymaking · republicanism · separation of powers · checks and balances · Magna Carta · ordinances · judiciary · bureaucracy · town hall · taxation · public service · municipal council · city council · federalism · state power
- Philippine historypresidents, Spanish rule, vice president, revolutionaries, Imelda
- LockeJohn Locke, tabula rasa, blank slate, social contract, natural rights
- Lutheran ConfessionsBook of Concord, Augsburg Confession, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Concordia
- territoriesprovince, state, region, country, colony
civil governmentmartial law
Armed forces governance
military rule · military government · military dictatorship · junta · military regime
civil governmenttheocracy
Rule by religious authority
hierocracy · caliphate · papal authority · canon law · religious law
civil governmentanarchy
Disorder from absent authority
lawlessness · statelessness · chaos · failed state · state of nature
civil, government, civility, civilian, civilize, civilized, civilization, civics, civic