Public law primarily governs which of the following relationships?

Public law primarily governs the relationships between individuals and the state. This area of law deals with issues that affect society as a whole, focusing on the regulation of government actions and the rights of individuals in relation to government authority. It encompasses various legal principles and frameworks that ensure that the government operates within the boundaries of the law, protecting individuals' rights against state actions.

For instance, constitutional law, administrative law, and criminal law constitute branches of public law, all of which dictate how the state interacts with individuals—whether through the enforcement of rules, regulation of conduct, or the prosecution of criminal offenses. In this sense, public law serves as a mechanism to balance power, ensuring that individual rights are upheld while the state carries out its functions.

Other options are related to private law or specific interactions that do not primarily involve the state’s governance over individuals. Individuals and corporations usually fall under private law since such relationships are governed by contractual obligations and commercial regulations rather than public law. The relationship between corporations themselves is typically addressed under corporate law, which also does not fall under public law. Similarly, international entities and states are dealt with under international law, focusing on relations between countries rather than the distinct individual-state dynamic that characterizes public law.