What is an essential part of a legitimate and functioning government?

Legitimate governments need the will of people to be in a stable state.

Explanation:

Acquiring legitimacy is a requirement that is not limited to liberal democratic governments but is considered a fundamental prerequisite of the rule because ruling governments without at least a certain amount of legitimacy will ultimately collapse. While monarchical rule got legitimacy from the notion of divine origin, the democratic government need the support of the majority of people governed.

it further strained relations between the north and the south and convinced

after the roman empire, the catholic church began to unify by taking on many duties of a government.