govern

To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.

The old king governed the land wisely.

To exercise political authority; to run a government.

Americans are not libertarians in the Cato Institute sense of the word, but they are folk libertarians in this sense of impulsive behaviour, which is a feature of American life that anyone who wants to govern the United States, Democratic or Republican, has to be aware of.

To control the actions or behavior of; to keep under control; to restrain.

Govern yourselves like civilized people.

a student who could not govern his impulses

To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.

Chance governs the outcome of many card games.

To have or exercise a determining influence.

The act of governing