Differences between the State and the Government

There are degree of variance or differences between the state and the government. These differences are embedded or inherent in their definitions and characteristics. Therefore, the state is different from the government based on the following reasons:

1. 
   Scope: The state is wider in scope than government. A state consists of all the inhabitants (government and the governed) while government is just a fraction of the state and the machinery through which the states governed. For example, Nigeria (a state) has a population of over 200million people, while the people in government are just about 50,000 or more.
   
2. 
   Sovereignty: Theoretically, sovereignty is an attribute and a natural property of the state, not of the government. However, in practice, Sovereignty is kept in trust of government to exercise (use) on behalf the state.
   
3. 
   Mode of Existence: A state is a permanent entity while government is temporal. In other words, government change either through the peaceful process of election or violent means of a military coup d'etat or resolution but a state remains. For example, Nigeria has remained a permanent entity since gaining independence in 1960, yet, she has witnessed so many changes in government.
   
4. 
   Features or Components. The state has no organ of administration rather, its indispensable components include people, defined territory, government, sovereignty. recognition and permanence while government has its own organs of administration which are the legislature, executive and judiciary.
   
5. 
   Conception: A state is an abstraction while government is a personification of the state. This simply means that a state can neither be seen nor touched. It is a thing of the mind, a conception but the government of a state can be personified eg. President Goodluck Jonathan's administration.