Government, to Rousseau, means executive power. The government is created not by any contract but by a decree of the sovereign, and its function is in no sense to make but only to administer law. While 'state' denotes the community as a whole, created by social pact and manifesting itself in supreme general will, 'government' denotes merely the individual or groups of individuals that is designated by the community to carry into effect the sovereign will. The individuals, to whom this power is assigned are the officers or the agents of the sovereign.