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

Both are created and changed through Requests approved under your Workspace admin Rule, each Approver signing with their own key. **Administrators write 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 Policy's send Rule points at Whitelists, and 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/guides/governance/groups.md) are named sets of people. 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/guides/governance/portfolios.md) group Accounts for organization and read-only visibility. They do not affect governance.

## Related

* [**Policies**](/help-center-v2/guides/governance/policies.md)
* [**Whitelists**](/help-center-v2/guides/governance/whitelists.md)
* [**Groups**](/help-center-v2/guides/governance/groups.md)
* [**Portfolios**](/help-center-v2/guides/governance/portfolios.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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