| |
A title used to describe the head of the executive branch of the central government of a state where this position is separate, as in the United Kingdom, from that of a largely ceremonial head of state. In Britain the prime minister is the head of government (by virtue of commanding the support of a majority of members of the House of Commons), while the monarch is the head of state. In certain countries, for example the United States, the head of government is also the head of state, i.e. the president. It should however be noted that where, as also in the United States, there is a genuine separation of powers, this person can have no position in and is subject to significant constraints by the legislative and judicial branches. Heads of government now play an important part in summitry, as do heads of state who are also heads of government. Persons who are merely ceremonial heads of state do not, though their symbolic potency is of value on other diplomatic occasions. The phrase ‘heads of state and government’ to describe those who take the lead at multilateral summits neatly covers these possibilities. |
|
