head of government

(noun)

The chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet; usually called Prime Minister (in a parliamentary system) or President (in a presidential system).

Related Terms

Examples of head of government in the following topics:

  • Chief Executive

    • Chief Executive is a term used for certain gubernatorial offices, expressing the nature of their job being analogous to a head of government.
    • Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet.
    • In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc.
    • In presidential republics or absolute monarchies, the head of government may be the same person as the head of state, who is often also called a president or a monarch.
    • In a parliamentary system, the head of state is normally a different person from the head of government.

  • Head of State

    • The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States.
    • The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States.
    • A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch is led by a president who serves as both head of state and head of government .
    • Presidential governments make no distinction between the positions of head of state and head of government, both of which are held by the president.
    • Many parliamentary governments have a symbolic head of state in the form of a president or monarch.

  • Monarchy

    • A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state.
    • Currently, 44 nations in the world have monarchs as heads of state.
    • Of these, 16 are Commonwealth realms such as Canada and Australia that recognize the monarch of the United Kingdom as their head of state.
    • A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or until abdication.
    • Currently, 44 nations in the world have monarchs as heads of state.

  • Monarchies and Liberal Democracies

    • Currently, 44 sovereign nations in the world have monarchs acting as heads of state, 16 of which are Commonwealth realms that recognize Queen Elizabeth II of England as their head of state.
    • A monarchy is a form of government in which sovereignty is actually or nominally embodied in a single individual, the monarch.
    • Monarchy was the most common form of government into the 19th century, but it is no longer prevalent, at least at the national level.
    • Currently, 44 sovereign nations in the world have monarchs acting as heads of state—16 of those are Commonwealth realms that recognize Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state.
    • Near the end of the 18th century, these ideas inspired the American and French Revolutions, the latter giving birth to the ideology of liberalism, and instituting forms of government that attempted to apply the principles of the Enlightenment philosophers into practice.

  • Types of Governments

    • In addition to there existing various legitimate means of holding power, there are a variety of forms of government.
    • A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or until abdication.
    • The person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch.
    • Currently, 44 nations in the world have monarchs as heads of state, 16 of which are Commonwealth realms that recognise the monarch of the United Kingdom as their head of state.
    • Democracy is a form of government in which the right to govern or sovereignty is held by the majority of citizens within a country or a state.

  • The Powers of State Government

    • State governments are structured in accordance with state law and they share the same structural model as the federal system; they also contain three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial.
    • An elected Governor heads the executive branch of every state.
    • Each state government is free to organize its executive departments and agencies in any way it likes, resulting in substantial diversity among the states with regard to every aspect of how their governments are organized.
    • A supreme court that hears appeals from lower state courts heads the judicial branch in most states.
    • Each of the state has its own government.

  • Making Agencies Accountable

    • The institution responsible for ensuring that government agencies are held accountable is the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
    • The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress.
    • The GAO also establishes standards for audits of government organizations, programs, activities, and functions, and of government assistance received by contractors, nonprofit organizations, and other nongovernmental organizations.
    • These standards pertain to auditors' professional qualifications, the quality of audit effort, and the characteristics of professional and meaningful audit reports.
    • The GAO is headed by the Comptroller General of the United States, a professional and non-partisan position in the U.S. government.

  • Types of States

    • The United States is a democratic presidential republic: a democratic government headed by a powerful elected executive, the president.
    • One well-known example of this type of government is a monarchy.
    • A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged with an individual, who is the head of state, often for life or until abdication.
    • The person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch.
    • Currently, 44 nations in the world have monarchs as heads of state.

  • Checking the Power of the Governing Party

    • The legislative branch can significantly affect the power of the governing party by employing a series of checks and balances.
    • The Democratic and Republican Parties can check the power of the governing party by holding seats in the legislative branch of the government.
    • The legislative branch of the United States government is composed of the Senate and House of Representatives.
    • The Senate has the power to consider presidential appointments of judges and executive department heads.
    • The tendency of the Democratic Party to embrace a more active government role in the lives of citizens versus the tendency of the Republican Party to favor limited government intervention in citizens' lives, highlights the difficulties that arise when a divided government exists.

  • Making Policy

    • However, the actual development and implementation of policies are under the purview of different bureaucratic institutions mainly comprised cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, government corporations, and regulatory agencies.
    • Fifteen agencies are designated by law as cabinet departments, which are major administrative units responsible for specified areas of government operations.
    • Each is headed by a department secretary appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
    • The remaining government organizations within the executive branch outside of the presidency are independent executive agencies.
    • Their heads are confirmed by Congress, though they are appointed by and report directly to the President.