I believe it means self government. If I remember right from that book, there was basically no government, so that means they had to take care of themselves because of no food, water, etc (until the end of course). I hope this helped. I wasn't too sure about this question, so hopefully its right!
it's mom
Explanation:
the hardest job in the world is the job of being a mother. As she makes many sacrifices to care for and raise her children.
