“Government implies the power of making laws.  It is essential to the idea of a law, that it be attended with a sanction; or, in other words, a penalty or punishment for disobedience.” – Alexander Hamilton (1787)

To understand more fully the contextual meaning of the above and how it applies to the founding of our republic, you may like to read The Federalist Paper No. 15 in its entirety:

http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa15.htm