Government

Marshal of the Sejm (Speaker of the Polish Lower House) Marshal of the Sejm Senior presiding officer of Poland's Sejm (lower parliamentary chamber). Responsible for running sessions, setting agenda, representing the chamber, and acting in presidential succ…

Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland Chief presiding officer of the Polish Senate, elected from senators; oversees Senate proceedings, represents the chamber, and stands in the constitutional order of precedence and p…

Marshall County, Illinois: Overview of Government, Demographics, and County Seat Lacon Marshall County, Illinois Marshall County, Illinois overview of county government, population and demographics, and the role of county seat Lacon as the center for local administration and services.

Mass surveillance in the United States Overview of mass surveillance practices in the United States: history, methods, legal framework, notable programs, and debates over privacy, security, and oversight.

Master of Public Administration (MPA): scope, curriculum, careers Master of Public Administration The MPA is a professional graduate degree that trains students in public management, policy analysis, and nonprofit leadership for careers in government, NGOs, and international or…

Maximilian I — prominent rulers sharing a regnal name Maximilian I Overview of historical figures known as Maximilian I, including the Holy Roman Emperor, the Elector of Bavaria, and the Emperor of Mexico, with their roles, differences, and legaci…

Mayor of Chicago An encyclopedic overview of the office of the Mayor of Chicago: powers, historical development of terms and elections, contested successions, and the office’s political significanc…

Member of Parliament (MP): Role, Election, and Responsibilities Member of parliament An MP (Member of Parliament) is an elected representative in legislatures that follow the Westminster tradition. This article explains duties, election rules, party roles, and dist…

Member of the House of Keys (MHK) Member of the House of Keys An MHK is an elected representative in the House of Keys, the directly elected chamber of Tynwald, the Isle of Man’s parliament. They legislate, scrutinise government and represent…

Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, 1974–1977 An overview of the first Northern Territory Legislative Assembly (1974–1977): its makeup, limited powers before self-government, political groups, leadership and its role in the te…

Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police (MTA Police) is the law enforcement agency that protects MTA commuter rail systems and assets in New York and Connecticut, formed t…

MI5 (Security Service) — United Kingdom's domestic security agency MI5 Overview of MI5, the UK's domestic Security Service: its role in counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism, relationships with other agencies, legal constraints, and historical de…

Milk Marketing Board (United Kingdom) Milk Marketing Board Former UK statutory body that bought milk from farmers, stabilised prices and marketed milk; established 1933 and abolished in the 1990s, remembered for industry regulation and the…

Minguo calendar (Republic of China calendar) Minguo calendar A year-numbering system that begins with the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. Used in Taiwan for official dates, it coexists with the Gregorian calendar and carries polit…

Minister A minister is an official who performs leadership, administrative, or representative duties in government, religion, diplomacy, or other institutions. Roles, authority, and titles…

Minister (government) A minister in government is a senior official who leads a public department or policy area, usually appointed from the legislature or by the executive and accountable to the parlia…

Minister Mentor (Singapore): role, history and significance Minister Mentor Minister Mentor was a unique Singapore cabinet post created in 2004 to formalize the advisory role of a senior statesman. The title was held only by Lee Kuan Yew and abolished afte…

Minister of Foreign Affairs (Azerbaijan) Senior government official who directs Azerbaijan’s diplomacy and international relations; office originated in 1918, was transformed during the Soviet era and reconstituted after…

Minister of Home Affairs (India) The Union Cabinet minister who heads India's Ministry of Home Affairs, responsible for internal security, police and paramilitary forces, centre–state relations, and administration…

Minister President of Prussia Head of the Prussian government from 1848 to 1947, the Minister President led the state's executive, evolving from a royal minister to the chief of the Free State of Prussia and fi…

Minister‑president: head of government in certain European states and regions Minister-president A minister‑president is a head of government in several European countries or subnational jurisdictions, presiding over a cabinet or council of ministers and often comparable to a…

Ministry: Government Departments, Religious Service, and Organizational Roles Ministry Overview of ministry—its meanings in government as executive departments and cabinets, in religion as ordained and lay service, and in other organizational, historical, and civic c…

Ministry (government department) A ministry is a principal government department headed by a political minister, responsible for policy areas such as finance, defence or health and usually organised under a cabine…

Federal Ministry of Intra-German Relations (West Germany) Ministry for Intra-German Relations West German federal ministry (1949–1991) that managed relations with East Germany, questions about territories east of the Oder–Neisse line, and policies preserving the claim to Ge…

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Government ministry responsible for Azerbaijan’s international relations, diplomacy, consular services and treaty-making; established 1918, transformed under Soviet rule, and resto…

Ministry of Health of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health (Turkey) National government ministry responsible for public health, health policy, hospital services and regulation in Turkey, overseeing disease control, primary care and health system pl…

Ministry of Justice (Spain) Overview of Spain's Ministry of Justice: its role, organization, historical names, headquarters, and main functions in the Spanish legal and administrative system.

Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (Germany) Ministry of Justice of Germany The German federal ministry responsible for drafting and coordinating federal justice policy, preparing legislation in civil and criminal law, regulating legal professions and, sin…

Ministry of National Defense (Romania) Romania's government department responsible for national defence policy, armed forces administration, international military cooperation and defence procurement.

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper chamber of the Minnesota Legislature. It has 67 members representing single-member districts and meets in the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Pau…

Minnesota Territory (1849–1858) Minnesota Territory Organized U.S. territory established in 1849 that governed lands around the upper Mississippi River; admitted to the Union in 1858 as the State of Minnesota, with western lands lat…

Minority Floor Leader of the Senate of the Philippines The Senate Minority Floor Leader is the elected head of the Senate’s minority bloc, responsible for organizing opposition, coordinating debate strategy, and representing minority v…

Missouri Compromise (Compromise of 1820) Missouri Compromise An 1820 congressional agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state and set a geographic limit on slavery in the Louisiana Purchase north of 36°30′.

Missouri General Assembly The Missouri General Assembly is the state’s bicameral legislature, responsible for making laws, approving budgets and confirming appointments. It meets in Jefferson City and consi…

Missouri House of Representatives: role, structure, and notable facts Missouri House of Representatives Overview of the Missouri House of Representatives: membership, terms, duties, qualifications, history of term limits, and comparisons with other state lower chambers.

Mixed government: theory, history, and modern relevance Mixed government Mixed government blends rule by many, few, and one; a constitutional model that influenced classical thought and modern separation of powers across political systems.

Monarch A monarch is the sovereign head of a monarchy. Their authority and duties vary from ceremonial to absolute; succession can be hereditary or elective and titles take many historical…

Monarchy: forms, history, succession, and modern roles Monarchy Monarchy: a system with a monarch as head of state. Overview of types (hereditary, elective, constitutional, absolute), succession, historical development, common titles and modern…

Monarchy of Antigua and Barbuda Overview of the constitutional monarchy in Antigua and Barbuda: role of the sovereign, the Governor‑General, historical origin at independence, constitutional functions, and contem…

Monarchy of Australia: constitutional role, history and modern practice Monarchy of Australia Overview of Australia's constitutional monarchy: the sovereign's position, the Governor‑General and state governors, succession, history since federation, and contemporary constitu…

Monarchy of Barbados Overview of Barbados' constitutional monarchy (1966–2021): its role, institutions, history, transition to a republic on 30 November 2021, and lasting symbols and distinctions.

Monarchy of Belgium Overview of Belgium's constitutional monarchy: role and powers of the king, history from Leopold I to King Philippe, succession, duties, public role, residences and contemporary de…

Monarchy of Ireland: historical development and contemporary status Monarchy of Ireland Overview of monarchy in Ireland from Gaelic kingship and the Norman and Tudor periods to the union with Britain, 20th‑century partition and the modern divergence between the Republ…

Monarchy of Norway Overview of Norway's monarchy: origins, historical development, constitutional role, succession and modern significance from Viking unification to today's ceremonial constitutional…

Monarchy of Pakistan (1947–1956) Monarchy of Pakistan The Monarchy of Pakistan was the legal form of state for the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 until the 1956 republic, when the country replaced the monarch with a president under a…

Monarchy of Spain The Monarchy of Spain (the Crown) is the constitutional, hereditary office serving as Spain's head of state, with ceremonial duties, limited constitutional powers, and a role in na…

Monarchy of the Bahamas Overview of the Bahamas' constitutional monarchy: role of the sovereign, the Governor‑General, historical background since independence, ceremonial symbols, and contemporary contex…

Monarchy of the United Kingdom The constitutional monarchy that serves as the United Kingdom's head of state and a symbolic institution shared with several independent Commonwealth realms.