> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.enterprise.ledger.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.enterprise.ledger.com/help-center-v2/administration/governance.md).

# Governance

How Policies and Whitelists combine to govern what leaves an Account on Ledger Enterprise, and the order to build them in.

Two objects carry your governance:

* A [**Whitelist**](/help-center-v2/administration/governance/whitelists.md) is a named, governed list of permitted destination addresses.
* A [**Policy**](/help-center-v2/administration/governance/policies.md) is a named, reusable set of Rules that Accounts adopt.

Master Administrators create and change both through Requests. The Master Administrator quorum approves each of these Requests. API Administrators cannot create or change them. **Operators can read them**, which lets an Operator answer "is this destination allowed?" without asking anyone.

## Build in this order

**Whitelists, then Policies, then Accounts.**

A Send Rule in a Policy points at Transaction Whitelists. A Contract Interaction Rule points at Smart Contract Whitelists. An Account points at a Policy.

You cannot create a Whitelist from inside a Policy form, or a Policy from inside an Account form. Each one has to exist and be approved before the next can point at it. That means three approval cycles when you set up a new client from scratch. Plan for it.

## What each layer decides

| Layer       | Decides                                                                                               |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Whitelist   | Which addresses are permitted destinations                                                            |
| Policy Rule | Who may create an operation, within what amounts, to which whitelisted destinations, and who approves |
| Policy      | Which Rules travel together as a reusable set                                                         |
| Account     | Whether it uses its own Rules or adopts a shared Policy                                               |

## Groups and Portfolios

[**Groups**](/help-center-v2/administration/users/groups.md) are named sets of Operators. Use a group in a Rule instead of naming individuals. When someone joins or leaves, you edit the group once rather than every Rule.

[**Portfolios**](/help-center-v2/administration/governance/portfolios.md) group Accounts for organization and read-only visibility. They do not affect governance.

## Workspace settings

[**Workspace settings**](/help-center-v2/administration/governance/workspace-settings.md) hold the Rules that govern the Workspace itself: the Master Administrator quorum, the **API admin rules**, and the root Certificate Authority.

## Related

* [**Policies**](/help-center-v2/administration/governance/policies.md)
* [**Whitelists**](/help-center-v2/administration/governance/whitelists.md)
* [**Groups**](/help-center-v2/administration/users/groups.md)
* [**Portfolios**](/help-center-v2/administration/governance/portfolios.md)
* [**Workspace settings**](/help-center-v2/administration/governance/workspace-settings.md)
* [**How governance works**](/help-center-v2/concepts/how-governance-works.md)
* [**Creating and editing Accounts**](/help-center-v2/guides/accounts/creating-and-editing-accounts.md)


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