A common feature of government is________

Analyze the question

The question asks for a common feature of government, meaning something found in every government, whatever the system (democracy, monarchy, military rule, presidential, parliamentary, and so on).

Explain the concept

Government is the machinery or agency through which the state makes and carries out its decisions. Whatever the form of government, it performs three basic functions:

• Making laws and public policy (legislative function)
• Carrying out those laws and policies (executive function)
• Interpreting the laws and settling disputes (judicial function)

Test each option

• A. The making of public policy: Every government, whether democratic, military, monarchical or one-party, makes policies for the society. This is universal.
• B. The separation of powers: This is a feature of some systems, such as the presidential system in Nigeria and the USA. It is absent in a parliamentary system (which uses fusion of powers) and in absolute monarchies or military regimes.
• C. The independence of the judiciary: This is a feature of liberal democracies and the rule of law. Military or authoritarian governments often undermine it.
• D. A written constitution: Not every government has one. Britain, for example, has an unwritten constitution, and military regimes often suspend the constitution.

Identify the answer

Only option A applies to all governments, so it is the one common feature. B, C and D are features of particular systems, not of government in general.

Exam tip

When you see the words "common feature" or "characteristic of all governments", look for the option that is universal. Eliminate options that describe specific systems, such as separation of powers (presidential system), a written constitution (not every country has one) or an independent judiciary (democracies). The broad, function-based answer is usually correct.