government powers
Official legal capacities
Government powers are the authorities and capacities that a state exercises over its territory and people—the ability to tax, legislate, enforce laws, wage war, and regulate conduct.
In federal systems like the United States, these powers divide between national and regional governments: The Constitution enumerates specific government powers while reserving others to the states.
Discussion of government powers often concerns their limits: The court ruled the mandate exceeded government powers.
- statuteEnacted written rule
- adjudicationFormal decision on disputes
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
- budgetingAllocating funds systematically
- command structureOrder-giving hierarchy
licensing · treaty negotiation · ordinance · defense strategy · national security · judiciary · amendment · enforcement · referendum · intelligence gathering · state secrets · fiscal policy · taxation · bill · executive orders · executive privilege · court ruling · revenue collection
- state constitutionsstate constitution, constitutional convention, constitutional amendments, bill of rights, preamble
government powersindividual rights
Freedoms held by persons
civil liberties · personal freedoms · private rights · natural rights · human rights
government powerschecks and balances
Constitutional power-limiting framework
limited government · separation of powers · due process · judicial review · legal restrictions
government powersstates' rights
Provincial governmental autonomy
decentralization · subsidiarity · self-governance · community control · regional autonomy
government, governments, governmental, govern, governs, governed, governing, governor, governors