Head of government
The head of government serves as the chief officer of a country's executive branch, responsible for managing daily governmental operations, overseeing agencies, and implementing laws. This role is distinct from that of the head of state, who typically serves a ceremonial function and symbolizes national unity without engaging in legislative activities. The structure and powers of the head of government can vary significantly depending on a nation's constitutional framework, which can include presidential, parliamentary, or semi-presidential systems.
In a presidential system, such as that of the United States, the president functions as both head of government and head of state. Conversely, in parliamentary systems like the United Kingdom, the prime minister acts as the head of government while the monarch fulfills a symbolic role. Semi-presidential systems feature a division of responsibilities between a president and a prime minister, requiring collaboration on policymaking. Different forms of government—monarchy, democracy, oligarchy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism—also influence how the head of government is appointed and their level of authority. Overall, the head of government plays a crucial role in shaping national policy and governance, adapting to the unique political and cultural contexts of each country.
Head of government
The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government. They are responsible for overseeing the daily executive and legislative activities in their country. Typically, the head of government appoints members of the government, oversees governmental agencies, and oversees the operations of the civil service.
The head of government differs from the head of state, who represents the government symbolically, but does not manage the country’s daily activities. A head of state advances national pride and identity, hosts foreign ambassadors, and serves as a symbol of the country. The head of state does not pass any legislation; that role is reserved for the head of government.
Each sovereign state chooses its own constitutional model, which determines the extent of the authority of a head of government. The relationship between the head of government and the head of state also varies according to the constitutional model used.
Background
The role of the head of government differs according to the style of government of a country. In a presidential system, such as the United States, the head of government, who is the president, also serves as the head of state. The same holds true for an absolute monarchy or dictatorship.
In a country with a parliamentary system, such as the United Kingdom, the head of government is the prime minister. In effect, the head of government is the political leader of the state, whereas the head of state is only a figurehead. Often, the head of government has to formally report to the head of state, but the head of state may act as chief executive only under specific circumstances.
In a country with a semi-presidential system, such as the French Fifth Republic, the head of government answers to the head of state and the legislature. An elected fixed-term president and a prime minister serve side by side. The two leaders are collectively responsible to the legislature, but the prime minister is considered the head of government.
Alternative titles that also refer to the head of government include chancellor, chief executive, chief minister, first minister, premier, prime minister, and president.
Different figures hold power in different types of governments. There are five main forms of government: monarchy, democracy, oligarchy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism.
In a monarchy, a single family rules, passing the power from one generation to the next. In an absolute monarchy, the monarch has unlimited power in political matters. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch has limited or no political power, and their role is ceremonial.
In a democracy, the people hold the power. In a representative democracy, citizens implement their power by electing representatives, including a head of government, who create laws for them to follow.
An oligarchy is a government where a dominant group in society maintains all the power. The head of government is chosen from these powerful groups, which might be marked by relationship to royalty, level of education or wealth, or military control.
Last, in an authoritarian government, the people are given no power or participation. Citizens must display total obedience to the head of government, who is not chosen by the people. Totalitarian governments go even further, and the head of government refuses to tolerate differences of opinion and exercises control over the freedoms of citizens.
Overview
The head of government is responsible for supervising the legislative and executive branches of a country. The legislative branch forms laws, and the executive branch makes laws official and carries them out. Furthermore, the daily administration of the state is carried out by the executive branch.
Presidential System
In a presidential system, such as the United States, the head of government is also the head of state. In the United States, the president is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Congress creates laws, and the president enforces them. An appointed member of the president’s cabinet leads one of each of the fifteen executive departments that perform the daily administrative tasks of the federal government. Additionally, the president appoints the head of the Federal Reserve Board, ambassadors, federal judges, and fifty independent federal commissions.
Once Congress enacts bills, the president has the power either to sign them into law or to veto them. The president also has the power to negotiate and sign treaties with other nations, although two-thirds of the Senate must ratify those treaties. In addition, the president can extend pardons for federal crimes and has the power to issue executive orders to broaden existing laws.
Parliamentary System
In a parliamentary system, such as the United Kingdom, the prime minister is the head of government, but not the head of state. The prime minister bears ultimate responsibility for all policies and decisions in the country. Among the prime minister’s duties are appointing members of the government and overseeing the operation of government agencies and civil services.
Within a parliamentary system, the leader of the coalition, or party that has won the majority vote, becomes the head of government. The government has to answer to the parliament, in that the parliament can pass a vote of no confidence, vote down the government’s legislative proposals, and control the budget. A vote of no confidence is a procedure used by members of a legislative body to remove the prime minister and their government from office.
The head of government, who is the prime minister, is usually involved in the parliament’s daily activities. The prime minister has to defend the government and answer questions in the parliament. In contrast, the head of government in presidential systems is not directly involved in the daily functioning of the legislative bodies.
Semi-Presidential System
In a semi-presidential system, three bodies share the power: parliament, president, and a government with a prime minister at its helm. The president is directly elected by the country’s citizens, and is considered the head of state. The prime minister, who is nominated by the president, is the head of government. In countries using this system, the government generally reaches an agreement about which head will lead which policy areas, such as domestic or foreign policy. This power sharing has the potential to stabilize a country or to create friction that causes the government to collapse.
Bibliography
Bucur, Cristina. “Cabinet Ministers under Competing Pressures: Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Political Parties in Semi-Presidential Systems.” Comparative European Politics, vol. 15, no. 2, 2017, pp. 180–203, doi.org/10.1057/cep.2015.1. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
"The Constitutional Design of Semi-Presidential Government." Semi-Presidentialism as Power Sharing, International IDEA, 2014, www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/semi-presidentialism-power-sharing-constitutional-reform-after-arab-spring. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
"Executive Branch." CIA World Fact Book, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/executive-branch. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Hayo, Bernd, and Stefan Voigt. “Determinants of Constitutional Change: Why Do Countries Change Their Form of Government?” Journal of Comparative Economics, vol. 38, no. 3, 2010, pp. 283–305, doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2010.07.007. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Hicken, Allen, and Heather Stoll. “Are All Presidents Created Equal? Presidential Powers and the Shadow of Presidential Elections.” Comparative Political Studies, vol. 46, no. 3, 2013, pp. 291–319, doi.org/10.1177/0010414012453694. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
O'Malley, Eoin. "The Power of Prime Ministers: Results of an Expert Survey." International Political Science Review, vol. 28, no. 1, 2007, pp. 7–27.
Seib, Gerald. "Presidential Power Undergoing a Transformation." Wall Street Journal, 17 Feb. 2014, online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304899704579388782793560024.html. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Stacey, Richard, and Sujet Choudhry. "Semi-Presidential Government in the Post-Authoritarian Context of Constitutional Transitions." The Center for Constitutional Transitions Meeting the Challenges of Emerging Constitutional Democracy Working Paper Series, 2014, ssrn.com/abstract=3025979. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.