An act that can be performed only by government.

• A. Governmental function
• B. Proprietary function
• C. Ministerial act
• D. Administrative act

Answer: (A)

Governmental power covers activities that involve sovereign authority and can’t be handed off to private entities. These are actions like enacting laws, enforcing laws, collecting taxes, and exercising eminent domain—things governments do because they possess police power and public authority. An act that can be performed only by government fits into this category of governmental function.

Proprietary function, by contrast, is when government operates in a businesslike manner, providing goods or services as a private owner might. A ministerial act is a straightforward, non-discretionary fulfillment of a duty imposed by law, with no room for personal judgment. Administrative acts involve implementing policy or managing operations and can involve some discretion.