Any State have two basic functions, to sustain order in the society by enforcing the state law and by execution of social sanctions. The other function is to protect the nation against the foreign aggression. Young and Mack explained the following function of the government.
Institutionalizing of Norms
The legislative body of government are responsible for the formulation of law through which the society is controlled. Legislature is the elected body, the representatives are elected by the people.
Resolution of Conflicts and Interpretation of Law
All the conflicts are resolved in the courts according to the law. Judiciary is the institution which is responsible for interpreting the law formulated by the legislature. It comprises of lawyers and judges who are masters of law. They decide which laws should be executed in a given situation.
Enforcement of Laws
Every state has its law enforcement agencies, which are responsible for enforcing the law on ground level. Military and police are the example of law enforcement agencies. Military protects the people for foreign aggression, whereas, police keep peace with in the country. They arrest people who are going against the norms of state and the fate of the offenders are decided in courts.
Economic Policies
Economic policies are also formulated by the state keeping in mind the interest of common people, business community and country interest.
International Relations
Government is obligated to keep and develop economic, political and cultural relation with neighboring and other countries. Foreign ministers, embassies and ambassadors are responsible for the above mentioned activities.
