Somehow less competent than a Muggle government.
The Ministry of Magic is the government for the magical people of Britain in J.K. Rowling's world. It has been shown as being corrupt and purposefully blind toward the truth. So pretty much typical of politicians, really.
The Ministry's headquarters is located below London and is accessible by a broken-down red telephone box located on a dingy street that also features several shabby offices, a pub, and a wall covered with graffiti. When the telephone in the box is dialed 62442 (the numbers which spell the word M-A-G-I-C), the welcome witch's voice answers, not from the phone but from the air as if the person is standing right there. Visitors must state their business, upon which a silver badge pops out with the visitor's name and purpose of visit. Then the telephone box drops down like a lift for about one minute, after which the visitor is in the Atrium.[1]
Presumably, most of the people who work in the Ministry use Floo Powder and enter by means of a series of fireplaces in the Atrium.
Connections with the Muggles[]
The Ministry of Magic has the power to Obliviate, or wipe the memories of, any and all Muggles who might have seen wizards/witches/magical creatures at work. The Minister for Magic meets with the Muggle Prime Minister when the actions of the Wizarding World might affect the Muggle one, such as the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban, the import of magical creatures such as dragons, or the rebirth of Lord Voldemort.
The Departments[]
The Ministry departments include:
- Department of Magical Law Enforcement
- Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes
- Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
- Department of International Magical Cooperation
- Department of Magical Transportation
- Department of Magical Games and Sports
- Department of Mysteries