Government

Pro tempore: meaning, uses, and roles in government, law and academia Pro tempore Pro tempore (Latin for 'for the time being') denotes a temporary office, appointment, or status used in government, courts, academia, and documents to indicate a provisional or act…

Protectorate: Definition, History, Forms, and Notable Examples Protectorate A protectorate is a polity that cedes control of defense or foreign affairs to a stronger power while retaining internal autonomy. This article explains forms, history, examples an…

Province of Cattaro (Provincia italiana di Cattaro) Province of Cattaro Italian administrative province created in 1941 around Cattaro (Kotor) within the Governorate of Dalmatia; formed after the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia and dissolved after Italy's…

Province of Massachusetts Bay An English colonial province in New England (established by a 1691 charter) that included modern Massachusetts and Maine; important for maritime trade, shipbuilding and colonial po…

Province of South Sardinia Administrative province covering much of southern Sardinia, Italy. Known for coastal landscapes, agricultural plains, mining heritage, archaeological sites and Mediterranean biodiv…

Province of Spalato (Italian administration, 1941–1943) Province of Spalato Italian administrative province centered on Spalato (Split), created in 1941 within the Governorate of Dalmatia; existed until 1943 and was later reintegrated into Yugoslavia.

Province of Zara (Italian administration, 1941–1943) Province of Zara Brief encyclopedia entry on the Italian Province of Zara (1941–1943): creation, territory, administration within the Governorate of Dalmatia, wartime role, and postwar fate.

Provinces of Vanuatu An overview of Vanuatu’s six administrative provinces: names, constituent islands, origins since 1994, roles in governance, and cultural and geographic distinctions.

Provincial Assembly of Balochistan Unicameral legislature of Balochistan province in Pakistan. Covers its composition, functions, electoral basis, history, and role within the federal system.

Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Unicameral legislature of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, responsible for lawmaking, budget approval and provincial oversight; composed of elected and reserved seats and l…

Provincial Assembly of Sindh The elected unicameral legislature of Sindh province, Pakistan. Established by the 1973 Constitution, it makes provincial law, approves budgets, holds the provincial government to…

Provincial Assembly of the Punjab (Pakistan) Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Unicameral legislature of Punjab province in Pakistan. Established under the 1973 Constitution, it enacts provincial laws, approves budgets and oversees the provincial government w…

Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pakistan) Provincially Administered Tribal Area Territorial units in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with special administrative and legal arrangements differing from ordinary districts.

Provisional Government: Definition, Roles, and Historical Examples Provisional government A provisional government is a temporary authority created to fill a power vacuum after a state collapse or major crisis; it organizes order, administers public affairs, and often p…

Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (1969–1976) Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam The PRG was a political body formed in 1969 by southern revolutionary forces as an alternative to the Saigon regime; it assumed authority in the South in 1975 and merged with North…

Prussian House of Lords (Preußisches Herrenhaus) Prussian House of Lords Upper chamber of the Kingdom of Prussia's parliament from 1850 to 1918; a largely aristocratic body that reviewed legislation, represented estates and institutions, and was abolish…

Public Administration: Functions, History, and Contemporary Practice Public administration An overview of public administration: its roles in implementing government policy, key functions, historical development, academic study, and modern challenges in public sector man…

Public journal (official gazette): purpose, contents, and legal role Public journal An official public journal (official gazette) is the authoritative publication of a government or legislature that records laws, regulations, notices and acts; publication often af…

Public sector The public sector comprises government institutions and agencies that provide goods and services, regulate activity, and manage public resources at national, regional and local lev…

Public Security Bureau (China): local policing and administrative organ Public security bureau (China) A Public Security Bureau (PSB) is a local government office in the People's Republic of China responsible for policing, public order, residence registration and exit–entry administ…

Public–private partnership (PPP) Public-private partnership A public–private partnership is a formal collaboration in which government and private firms share responsibilities to deliver public services or infrastructure; common models, use…

Punjab Hill States Agency (British India) Punjab Hill States agency Colonial administrative unit formed in 1936 overseeing princely hill states in today’s Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand; traces origins to the Simla Hill States and the 1901 Punjab…

Punjab States Agency (British India) Punjab States Agency A British colonial political agency that managed relations with about forty princely states in the Punjab region; created in the 1930s, reorganized in 1936, and dissolved after Ind…

Puppet state A puppet state is a polity that is formally independent but in practice controlled by another power. The term is often pejorative and describes loss of genuine sovereignty and exte…

Quaestor (Roman official and modern usages) Quaestor Quaestor: originally an enquiring official of ancient Rome; later the Republic's entry-level financial magistrate; the title evolved under the Empire and survives in modern policin…

Quango (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation) Quango A quango is a semi-independent public body funded by government but operating at arm's length; common in the UK and Ireland, used to deliver services, regulate sectors, or provide…

Queen: roles, types, history and modern significance Queen An overview of the title 'queen' — its meanings, distinctions between queen regnant and queen consort, historical development, constitutional roles, and modern cultural and politic…

Queen's Privy Council for Canada The Queen's Privy Council for Canada is a formal advisory body to the Canadian monarch whose active component is the cabinet; membership is largely lifetime and ceremonial, with co…

Quetta Division Former administrative division in Pakistan's Balochistan province centred on Quetta city; its functions, history, geography and legacy after the 2000 local government reforms.

Quit India Movement (1942) — Campaign for British withdrawal from India Quit India Movement Mass civil disobedience campaign launched in August 1942 calling for an immediate end to British rule in India. Marked by Gandhi’s “Do or Die” appeal, mass arrests, widespread prot…

Raion (rayon): administrative district used in many post‑Soviet countries Raion Raion (or rayon) is a term for district-level administrative units used across several former Soviet republics and other states; it denotes both regional subdivisions and city dist…

Rajya Sabha (Council of States) — Upper House of the Parliament of India Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha is the upper chamber of the Indian Parliament, representing states and territories. It is a permanent body with elected and nominated members that reviews legislation a…

Raymah Governorate — profile and overview Raymah Governorate Raymah is a mountainous governorate in western Yemen established in January 2004. Known for terraced agriculture and rural communities, it faces development and humanitarian challe…

Razavi Khorasan Province Razavi Khorasan is a large northeastern province of Iran whose capital, Mashhad, is a major religious and cultural center. The region blends historical heritage, agriculture, indus…

Reagan Doctrine (U.S. Cold War foreign policy) Reagan Doctrine U.S. foreign policy approach of the 1980s that backed anti‑communist movements to reduce Soviet influence; an influential and contentious element of Cold War strategy.

Regent: acting head in a monarchy — role, appointment, powers and history Regent A regent temporarily performs the duties of a monarch when the sovereign cannot rule. This article explains reasons for regency, how regents are appointed, their typical powers and…

Regierender Bürgermeister (Governing Mayor) of Berlin Regierender Bürgermeister The Regierender Bürgermeister is the head of Berlin's state government, elected by the Abgeordnetenhaus. This article explains the office’s responsibilities, selection, history, an…

Regierungsbezirk: Germany’s intermediate state administrative region Regierungsbezirk A Regierungsbezirk is an intermediate administrative region used by some German federal states to coordinate state tasks between the state government and district-level authorities…

Regime: governance, power, and international recognition Regime A regime is the leadership and ruling system of a sovereign state. This article explains types of regimes, their institutions, how they gain or lose power, tools of rule, and their…

Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte (RAAN) — North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte Autonomous region on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast, created under the nation’s autonomy framework; capital Puerto Cabezas (Bilwi). Known for indigenous populations, bilingual culture…

Regions of the Philippines: structure, purpose, and notable exceptions Regions of the Philippines An overview of the Philippines' regional divisions: their purpose, organization, history, uses, and notable exceptions such as autonomous and special administrative regions.

Regnal name: meaning, history and practice Regnal name A regnal name is the formal name adopted by a monarch, pope or sovereign for the period of their reign. This article explains purpose, numbering, cultural variants, examples and ce…

Reich Chancellor (Reichskanzler): office, history and significance Reich Chancellor The Reich Chancellor was the head of government of the German Reich from 1871 to 1945. This article explains its role, institutional evolution across the German Empire, Weimar Repu…

Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (Nazi Germany) Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda State ministry created in 1933 to control media, culture, and public opinion in Germany under Joseph Goebbels; a central instrument of Nazi censorship and mass persuasion until 194…

Reich President (Reichspräsident) — Head of state in Weimar and Nazi Germany Reich President The Reich President (Reichspräsident) was Germany’s head of state from 1919 to 1945, a powerful office created after the monarchy whose authority and practice changed dramatically…

Reichsführer-SS Highest title and later rank of the Schutzstaffel (SS) from 1925–1945. The Reichsführer-SS commanded the SS and, under Heinrich Himmler, directed police, security services and the…

Reichsminister (German national ministers, 1919–1945) Reichsminister Cabinet-level ministers of the German national government from 1919 to 1945 who led Reich ministries during the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany; distinct from imperial state secre…

Reichstag (institution) The Reichstag was the name used for Germany's central legislative assembly in several historical periods. This article explains its forms, functions, history, and legacy, and its r…