Standard for Good Governance

This page will explain how we arrived at the United States Government Accountability Office's Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government.

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Governance

Definition of Governance

Per Merriam-Webster:

governance (noun) : the act or process of governing or overseeing the control and direction of something (such as a country or an organization)

Government vs. Governance

Government is the formal institution that exercises authority, while governance is the broader process of decision-making and implementation involving multiple actors.

Wikipedia Definition

For such a simple definition, Wikipedia has a lot say about governance. As of September 8, 2026, Wikipedia - Governance begins with, "Governance is the overall complex system or framework of processes, functions, structures, rules, laws and norms born out of the relationships, interactions, power dynamics and communication within an organized group of individuals."