Governance

Governance is the way public authority is organized and exercised — how a society makes collective decisions, applies rules, and holds its institutions accountable. In the United States, governance is structured by the Constitution’s separation of powers, which assigns distinct roles to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches so that each checks the others.

Example: The Constitution Annotated describes how the Constitution “diffuses power the better to secure liberty” while contemplating that the branches’ dispersed powers will be integrated in practice — the design at the heart of American governance (constitution.congress.gov).

Common misconception: “Governance” and “government” are not the same thing. Government is the set of institutions; governance is the process of how authority is actually exercised — including how faithfully laws are carried out, not just which bodies formally hold power.

Sources: Governance | Britannica; Separation of Powers Under the Constitution | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov