Head of government
The head of government is the head of the government of a state (e.g. national or member state). He usually implements a large part of the political decisions.
- In all presidential systems of government, the president combines the functions of head of state and head of government. A well-known example is the president of the USA.
- In semi-presidential systems of government, power is often shared between a president and the head of government (chairman of the Council of Ministers, prime minister, prime minister). Classic examples can be found in France with the strong position of the President of the Fifth Republic or Russia.
- In parliamentary systems of government, the functions of the head of state (monarch, president) and the head of government (prime minister, premier) are also divided, with the head of state being primarily responsible only for representing the state internally and externally. For example, in the United Kingdom the Queen faces the Prime Minister or in Germany the Federal President faces the Federal Chancellor, likewise the Austrian Federal President faces the Federal Chancellor there.
- In some countries, the function of head of state is also performed by the parliamentary-designated head of government. In such a system of parliamentary executive, this person also functions as head of state. An example of this are the Minister-Presidents (or the Governing, First or Bremen Mayor) of the German Länder.
- However, there are also countries without an actual head of government. In Switzerland, the government consists of the members of the Federal Council, who are all equal; the President of the Confederation, as primus inter pares, i.e. "first among equals", only performs additional representative duties.
See also: Directorate system
The precise domestic powers of the head of government vary in all systems of government and are defined in the constitutions of the respective countries. In the field of international relations, the head of government is usually the plenipotentiary representative of his country.
See also
- heads of state and government
Questions and Answers
Q: What is the head of government?
A: The head of government is the leader of the executive branch of a nation's government.
Q: Is the head of government always the same person as the head of state?
A: No, the head of government is not always the same person as the head of state.
Q: What are some official titles for heads of government?
A: Some official titles for heads of government include Premier or Prime Minister.
Q: Who is the head of government in the United States?
A: In the United States, the president is both the head of state and the head of government.
Q: Who is the head of government in the Republic of Ireland?
A: In the Republic of Ireland, the Taoiseach is the head of government, while the president is the head of state.
Q: Do all modern monarchies have the king or queen as the head of government?
A: No, in most modern monarchies the king or queen is the head of state but not the head of government, as is the case of Japan and the UK, for example.
Q: Does the head of state always have power over law and justice?
A: No, the head of state of some countries has no power over law and justice, for example, the Bundespresident of Germany.
