Government

A government is a group of people. It makes important decisions for all the inhabitants in a state. It is assisted in this by civil servants and state employees, who are called the administration of the state. The administration carries out what parliament and the government have decided. In Germany and Austria the government is called the Federal Government, in Switzerland the Federal Council.

Who belongs to the government varies from country to country. Often it is the people's representative body, i.e. parliament, that elects the government. In some countries, the head of state, for example a king or president, determines who sits in the government. In other states, the head of state is part of the government and chooses the other members of the government.

In many states, a government can also be dismissed. If the people's representatives or the head of state are dissatisfied with the government, a new one is formed. This is called a change of government.