A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a -1... nation-state, This article is about federal states. For alternative meanings, see Federation can refer to: Federation - a state governed under the system of federalism. An organisation, such as a trade union, company or NGO, with a structure analogous to that of a political federation. Federation of Australia - a specific historical event... federation or Alternative meaning: the Commonwealth of Nations The English noun Commonwealth dates originally from the fifteenth century and in different contexts indicates one of: a nation, state or political unit a state founded on law by agreement of the people for the common good a republic a federated union of constituent... commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the country's For the entry on the naval ship U.S.S. Constitution, see: Career Laid down: Summer 1795 Launched: October 21, 1797 Commissioned: October 10, 1797 Status: Commissioned as a museum ship General Characteristics Displacement: 2,200 tons Length: 175 feet (53m) bp, 204 feet (62m) total Beam: 43.5 feet... constitution.

In This image may not have information on its source. It may be usable under fair use but this has yet to be verified. It might be public domain or under a licence compatible with the GNU FDL. To the uploader: Please provide licensing information as soon as possible. Images without... Charles de Gaulle's words, describing the role he envisaged for the French president when he wrote the modern French For the entry on the naval ship U.S.S. Constitution, see: Career Laid down: Summer 1795 Launched: October 21, 1797 Commissioned: October 10, 1797 Status: Commissioned as a museum ship General Characteristics Displacement: 2,200 tons Length: 175 feet (53m) bp, 204 feet (62m) total Beam: 43.5 feet... constitution, a head of state should embody "the spirit of the nation" to the nation itself and to the world: une certaine idée de la France (a certain idea about what France is).

In a monarchy, the This article treats the generic title monarch. For the origins of the word king and its English use, see Germanic king. For other meanings of the word, see Monarch (disambiguation) A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state. The word derives from Greek monos archein, meaning one... monarch is the head of state. In a republic, the head of state is usually called the President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership (from Latin prae- before + sedere to sit). Originally, the term usually referred to the presiding officer of a ceremony or meeting (i.e. chairman); but... president, although some leaders have assumed other titles (See "titles" below), and some have simply used 'Head of State' as their only formal title.

Presidential systems

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U.S. President The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. George Walker Bush Order: 43rd President Term of Office: January 20, 2001–Present Predecessor: Bill Clinton Successor: Incumbent Date of Birth: July 6, 1946 Place of Birth: New Haven, Connecticut... George W. Bush signs a bill into law at a public ceremony. As Head of State, the President's signature is required on all laws absent a A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple majority in order to have effect. For example: in some jurisdictions, parliamentary procedure requires that any action that may alter the rights of the minority... supermajority of congress.

Note - 'presidential' in this context does not automatically imply a President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership (from Latin prae- before + sedere to sit). Originally, the term usually referred to the presiding officer of a ceremony or meeting (i.e. chairman); but... president but simply a head of state, whether elected, hereditary or dictatorial who 'presides'.

Different countries have different executive systems but in reality four general categories can be said to exist. Some constitutions or fundamental laws provide for a head of state who is not just in theory but in practice chief executive, operating separately from, and independent from, the legislature. This system is sometimes known as a presidential system because the government is answerable solely and exclusively to a 'presiding' activist head of state, and is selected by and on occasion dismissed by the head of state without reference to the legislature. It is notable that some presidential systems, while not providing for collective executive answerability to the legislature, may require legislative approval for individuals prior to their assumption of cabinet office and empower the legislature to remove a president from office (for example, in the This article is on the country in North America. For other uses, see United States may refer to: The United States of America, a country in North America. The SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. The USS United States, a never-built aircraft carrier. The United Mexican... United States). In this case the debate centres on the suitability of the individual for office, not a judgment on them when appointed, and does not involve the power to reject or approve proposed cabinet members en bloc so it is not answerability in the sense understood in a parliamentary system.

Some presidential systems may also include a prime minister but as with the other ministers they are responsible to the President, not the legislature. In many such instances the office is of minimal political importance, sometimes even held by some administrative technocrat rather than a politician. A prime minister in a presidential system lacks the constitutional and political dominance of a prime minister in a parliamentary system and is often seen as simply a politically junior figure who may run the mechanics of government while allowing the President to set the broad national agenda. One could say that whereas in parliamentary systems a prime minister may be master of his or her party and the government prime ministers in presidential systems are usually the servants, with the head of state the master of the government who can hire and fire anyone, including the prime minister, at will.

Presidential Systems of Governments are a notable feature of constitutions in The Americas (sometimes referred to as America) is the area including the land mass located between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, generally divided into North America and South America. The term also usually includes the Caribbean, the islands in and around the Caribbean Sea, and Greenland, though not... the Americas, notably the This article is on the country in North America. For other uses, see United States may refer to: The United States of America, a country in North America. The SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. The USS United States, a never-built aircraft carrier. The United Mexican... United States. Though most presidents in the system are selected by democratic means (popular direct or indirect election, etc) the system also encompasses people who become head of state by other means, notably through military dictatorship or A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a A government is an organization that has the power to make and enforce laws for a certain territory. There are several definitions on what exactly constitutes a government. Contents // 1 Definitions 2 Operations 2.1... coup d'état. Some of the characteristics of a presidential system (ie, a strong dominant political figure with an executive answerable to them, not the legislature) can also be found among Absolute monarchy is an idealized form of government, a monarchy where the ruler has the power to rule his or her country and citizens freely with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition telling him or her what to do, although some religious authority may be able to discourage the... absolute monarchies.

It is worth noting that modern presidential systems, most notably the United States, owe their origins to the contemporary eighteenth century British constitutional model in existence at the time of the enactment of the Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America and is... Constitution of the United States, in which the British monarch was still the dominant force and their government was not in a modern sense answerable to the legislature. Thus modern presidential systems are the lineal successors of the ancien regime governmental systems of eighteenth century Europe, whereas in Europe many states have evolved from a head of state-centred executive system (a presidential system) to a legislature-orientated one (a parliamentary system). In the 1870s in the United States in the aftermath of the Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body formally levels charges against a high official of government. Impeachment does not necessarily mean removal from office; it comprises only a formal statement of charges, akin to an indictment in criminal law, and thus is only the first step towards possible... impeachment of President Order: 17th President Term of Office: April 15, 1865 - March 3, 1869 Followed: Abraham Lincoln Succeeded by: Ulysses S. Grant Date of Birth December 29, 1808 Place of Birth: Raleigh, North Carolina Date of Death: July 31, 1875 Place of Death: near Elizabethton, Tennessee Wife: Eliza McCardle Johnson First Ladies... Andrew Johnson and his near removal from office it was speculated that the United States too would move from a presidential system to a semi-presidential or even parliamentary one, with the The word speaker has a number of uses: In politics the Speaker is the presiding officer in many legislative bodies. A loudspeaker is an electronic device used to transform varying electric current into audible sound. A speaker can also be someone giving a speech, or lecture, see also public speaking... Speaker of the House of Representatives is a name used for legislative bodies in many countries. Often, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often called a senate. In other countries, the House of Representatives is the sole chamber of a unicameral legislature... House of Representatives becoming the real centre of government as a quasi-prime minister. This did not happen and the presidency, having been damaged by two late nineteenth century assassinations (Lincoln and Garfield) and one impeachment (Johnson), reasserted its political dominance by the early twentieth century through such figures as Theodore Roosevelt Order: 26th President Term of Office: September 14, 1901– March 4, 1909 Predecessor: William McKinley Successor: William Howard Taft Date of Birth Wednesday, October 27, 1858 Place of Birth: New York City Date of Death: Monday, January 6, 1919 Place of Death: Oyster Bay, New York First... Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson Order: 28th President Term of Office: Tuesday, March 4, 1913 - Friday, March 4, 1921 Predecessor: William Howard Taft Successor: Warren G. Harding Date of Birth Sunday, December 28, 1856 Place of Birth: Shacketta, Virginia Date of Death: Sunday, February 3, 1924 Place of Death: Washington, D.C. First... Woodrow Wilson.

Semi-presidential systems

François Mitterrand This work is copyrighted. The individual who uploaded this work and first used it in an article, and subsequent persons who place it into articles assert that this qualifies as fair use of the material under United States copyright law. Official picture of French president © Documentation fran...

French President François Mitterrand, an example of a head of state in a semi-presidential system

Semi-presidential systems combine features of Presidential and Parliamentary systems, notably a requirement that the government be answerable to both the President and the legislature. The Constitution of the current Governments of France series Gaul Franks Valois Dynasty Bourbon Dynasty National Convention Directory Consulate First Empire House of Bourbon (restored) House of Orleans Second Republic Second Empire Third Republic Vichy France Fourth Republic Fifth Republic The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced... French Fifth Republic provides for a prime minister who is chosen by the President but who nevertheless must be able to gain support in the Chamber of Deputies. Where in France a president is of one side of the political spectrum and the opposition is in control of the legislature, s/he often is forced to select someone from the opposition to become prime minister, a process known as Cohabitation in government occurs in France when the President and the Prime Minister come from different political parties. It is seen as a double-edged sword. It prevents the stagnation of split majorities that can occur in presidential systems - a concern especially relevant to the French in light of instability... Cohabitation. President François Mitterrand, a socialist, for example was forced to co-habit with the neo-gaullist (right wing) Jacques Chirac This work is copyrighted. The individual who uploaded this work and first used it in an article, and subsequent persons who place it into articles assert that this qualifies as fair use of the material under United States copyright law. Official picture of French president © Documentation française... Jacques Chirac, who became his prime minister for a time in the 1980s.

In the French system, in the event of co-habitation, the President is often allowed to set the policy agenda in foreign affairs and the Prime Minister run the domestic agenda.

Other countries evolve into something akin to a semi-presidential system or indeed a full presidential system. History of Germany series Franks Holy Roman Empire German Confederation German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (WWII) Germany since 1945 The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic (in German Weimarer Republik). It is named after the city of Weimar, where... Weimar Germany, for example, in its constitution provided for a popularly elected president with theoretically dominant emergency powers that were only intended to be exercised in emergencies and a cabinet appointed by him from the The term Reichstag (in English: Imperial Diet) is a composition of German Reich (Empire) and tag (which does not mean day here, but is a derivate of the verb tagen, which means assembling for debate). The Latin term, a direct translation, was curia imperialis. (Still today, the parliaments on the... Reichstag which was expected in normal circumstances to be answerable to the Reichstag. Initially the President was merely a symbolic figure with the Reichstag dominant.

However longterm political instability (where governments were collapsing every couple of months) led to a change in the power structure of the Republic, with the President's emergency powers called increasingly into use to prop up governments challenged by critical or even hostile Reichstag votes. By 1932, power had shifted to such an extent that the German President, Paul von Hindenburg Paul von Hindenburg (full name Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg) (October 2, 1847 - August 2, 1934) was a German war general. He also served as Reichspräsident (Reich President) of Germany from 1925-1934. The zeppelin Hindenburg was named in his honor, see... Paul Von Hindenburg was able to dismiss a Chancellor (Latin: cancellarius), an official title used by most of the peoples whose civilization has arisen directly or indirectly out of the Roman empire. At different times and in different countries it has stood and stands for very various duties, and has been, and is, borne by officers of various... chancellor and select his own person for the job even though the outgoing chancellor possessed the confidence in the Reichstag while the new chancellor did not. Subsequently President Von Hindenburg used his power to appoint For other people with the surname Hitler, see There have been several persons named Hitler: Adolf Hitler, (April 20, 1889 - April 30, 1945) was the Führer of the National Socialist German Workers Party and was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. Some of his family members... Adolf Hitler as Reich chancellor without consulting the Reichstag.

Parliamentary systems' heads of state

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Download high resolution version (753x1036, 157 KB)Taken from set of official pictures in the Spanish Royal Houses official web site: http://www.casareal.es/casareal/fotofc.html This image has information on its source, however it does not have information on its copyright status. It may be usable...

King Juan Carlos of Spain, an example of a parliamentary system head of state

In A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. Hence, there is no clear-cut separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of government. Parliamentary systems... parliamentary systems the head of state may be merely the nominal chief executive officer of the state, possessing theoretical executive power (hence the description of the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a This article describes a type of political entity. Country is also a short form for the Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled... United Kingdom This article treats the generic title monarch. For the origins of the word king and its English use, see Germanic king. For other meanings of the word, see Monarch (disambiguation) A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state. The word derives from Greek monos archein, meaning one... monarch's government as Her Majesty's Government, a term indicating that the government is theoretically hers, not parliament's). In reality however, due to a process of constitutional evolution powers are usually exercised by a Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers or the Executive Council. In some countries, particularly those with parliamentary systems, the cabinet collectively decides the... cabinet, presided over by a Alternative meaning: Prime Minister (band) A prime minister is the leading member of the Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers or the Executive... prime minister or President of the Government who is answerable to Alternative meanings: Parliamentary system, Parliament (band), Parliament (cigarette). A parliament is a legislative body, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system derived from that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French parlement , the action of parler (to speak) ... parliament. This answerability requires that someone be chosen from parliament who has parliament's support (or at least not parliament's opposition - a subtle but important difference). It also gives parliament the right to vote down the government, forcing it either to resign or seek a parliamentary dissolution. Governments are thus said to be responsible (ie, answerable) to parliament, with the government in turn accepting constitutional responsibility for offering constitutional In constitutional law, Advice is formal, usually binding instruction given by a constitutional officer of state to another. Heads of state in particular act on the basis of Advice¹ issued by governments and prime ministers. For example, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom formally appoints Ministers of the Crown... Advice to the head of state.

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King Leopold III of the Belgians, a parliamentary system head of state who controversially used his theoretical powers in an emergency

In reality, numerous variants exist to the position of a head of state within a parliamentary system. The older the constitution, the more constitutional leeway may exist for a head of state to exercise greater powers over government, as many older parliamentary system constitutions in fact give heads of state powers and functions akin to presidential or semi-presidential systems, in some cases without containing reference to modern democratic principles of accountability to parliament or even to modern governmental offices. For example, the 1848 is a Here is the calendar for any leap year starting on Saturday (dominical letter BA), e.g. 2000. January February March Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 1 2 3 4 5... 1848 constitution of the There have been several entities known as the Kingdom of Italy. The various Barbarian rulers of Italy after the end of the Western Empire in 476 (including Odoacer, the Ostrogoths and the Lombards) sometimes called their state the Kingdom of Italy. With the end of the Lombard Kingdom in 772... Kingdom of Italy was sufficiently ambiguous and outdated to give King Victor Emmanuel III Victor Emmanuel III (Italian: Vittorio Emanuele III) (November 11, 1869 - December 28, 1947), nicknamed The Soldier, was the King of Italy (July 29, 1900 - May 9, 1946), and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia (1936 - 1943) and King of Albania (1939 - 1943). Victor Emmanuel IIIs position... Victor Emmanuel III leeway to appoint Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 _ April 28, 1945) ruled Italy as a dictator from 1922 to 1943. He created a fascist state through the... Benito Mussolini to power in controversial circumstances.

Some Commonwealth parliamentary systems combine a body of written constitutional law, unwritten constitutional precedent, Orders-in-Council, letters patent, etc that may give a head of state additional powers in unexpected circumstances (eg, the dismissal of the Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (Latin continere, to hold together) is a large continuous mass of... Australian prime minister, Hon Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (born July 11, 1916), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia, was the only Australian Prime Minister to be dismissed by the Governor-General. He has been deified by his admirers and demonised by his opponents, and is one of the most controversial... Gough Whitlam by Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. The title has been, and is still used... Governor-General Sir Sir John Kerr Alternative meanings: John Kerr (disambiguation). Sir John Robert Kerr (September 24, 1914 - April 7, 1991), Australian judge and 18th Governor-General of Australia, became the most controversial holder of this post when he dismissed the Labor government of Gough Whitlam on 11 November 1975. Contents // 1 Kerr... John Kerr.)

Other examples of heads of state in parliamentary systems using greater powers than normal due either to ambiguous constitutions or unprecedented national emergencies, such as King Leopold III King of the Belgians Leopold III, Leopold Philippe Charles Albert Meinrad Hubertus Marie Miguel (November 3, 1901 - September 25, 1983) reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of his Heir Apparent, his son Baudouin. Leopold III was born in Brussels... Leopold III of the Belgians's decision to surrender on behalf of his state to the invading German army in 1940, against the will of His Government, he judging that his responsibility to the nation by virtue of his coronation oath required him to act, he believing that His Government's decision to fight rather than surrender was mistaken and would damage Belgium. (Leopold's decision proved highly controversial. After Download high resolution version (800x1094, 114 KB)Picture taken of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The picture was taken from one of the B-29 Superfortresses used in the attack. Picture taken from http://www.archives.gov/research_room/research_topics/world_war_2_photos/images/ww2_1623.jpg Page: http://www... World War II, Belgium voted on whether to allow him back on the throne. It did so, but because of the ongoing controversy he ultimately abdicated the throne.)

Non-executive heads of state

There was some controversy over this photo, and its legality. However, I e-mailed the presidents office and got the following relpy: Dear Mr. McCullough Thank you for your e-mail of 14 April 2003 concerning Presidents official portrait. I would like to advise you that there is...

MARY McALEESE President of Ireland Rank: 8th Term of Office: 11th November, 1997 - present Number of Terms: 2 Predecessor: Mary Robinson Successor: - Husband: Martin McAleese Profession: Pro-Vice Chancellor QUB, journalist Nominated by: Fianna Fáil Other candidates: 1997 Fine Gael: Mary Banotti, MEP Labour: Adi Roche Independent - Dana Rosemary... Mary McAleese, President of A true colour image of Ireland captured by a NASA satellite on January 4, 2003. Image by Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. This image page contains items that originally came from a NASA website or publication. All works created by NASA are in the public... Ireland, an example of a non-executive head of state.

A final category of head of state which could be loosely called the non-executive head of state model also exists. Its holders are excluded completely from the executive. In other words they do not possess even theoretical executive powers or any role, even formal, within the government. Hence their states' governments are not referred to by the traditional parliamentary model head of state A Style is a form of address which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a title or post, or to the office itself. A style can also be awarded to an individual in a personal capacity. Styles are particularly associated with monarchies, where they... styles of His/Her Majesty's Government or His/Her Excellency's Government. Within this general category, variants in terms of powers and functions may exist. The King of Sweden, since the passage of the modern Swedish constitution, the The Instrument of Government was Englands first codified constitution. It was drafted by Major-General John Lambert in 1653, and granted executive power to the Lord Protector. Although this post was elective, not hereditary, it was to be held for life. The document also required the calling of triennial... Instrument of Government in the mid 1970s, no longer has any of the parliamentary system head of state functions that had previously belonged to Swedish kings. But he still receives formal cabinet briefings monthly in the Royal Palace. In contrast the only contact the Irish president has with the Irish government is through a formal briefing session given by the This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland President Council of State Oireachtas Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Supreme Court Judiciary Constitution Referendum Political parties Elections: President: 2004 Legislature: 2002 The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the... Taoiseach (prime minister) to the President. However she has no access to documentation and all access to ministers goes through the The Department of An Taoiseach is the government department of the Irish prime minister, An Taoiseach (in the Irish language, the leader). It is based in Government Buildings, the headquarters of the Irish government, on Merrion Street in Dublin. The Department was created in 1937 and replaced the Department of... Department of An Taoiseach (prime minister's office).

Examples of this category invariably date from the twentieth century.

The most notable examples of this category are the

• This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland President Council of State Oireachtas Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Supreme Court Judiciary Constitution Referendum Political parties Elections: President: 2004 Legislature: 2002 The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is... President of Ireland
• This is a list of Swedish monarchs, that is, the Kings and ruling Queens of Sweden with Regents and Viceroys of the Kalmar Union up until the present time. There are lists of Swedish pagan monarchs with dates far older than these. These records contain the early kings, of the... King of Sweden (since 1975)
• This article is part of the series Politics of Germany Constitution Bundestag Bundesrat Federal Convention Constitutional Court President Chancellor Cabinet States of Germany Districts of Germany Elections 2002 | 1998 | 1994 | 1990 | 1987 | 1983 | 1980 | 1976 | 1972 | 1969 | 1965 | 1961 | 1957 | 1953 | 1949 Political Parties:    SPD | CDU/CSU  ... President of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. From the dawn of history until the mid-twentieth century the role of the Emperor has alternated between that of... Emperor of Japan

Complexities with categorisation

While clear categories do exist, it is sometimes difficult to choose which category some individual heads of state belong to. Constitutional change in The Principality of Liechtenstein ( German (Deutsch) Spoken in: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and 38 other countries. Region: Europe Total speakers: 120 million Ranking: 9 Genetic classification: Indo-European  Germanic   West Germanic    Old High German    Middle High German    Modern German... Liechtenstein in 2003 is a This is the calendar for a common year starting on Wednesday (dominical letter E), e.g. 2003. (A common year is a year with 365 days — in other words, not a leap year.) January Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa   1 2 3 4... 2003 gave its head of state, the Prince, unprecedented constitutional powers including a veto over legislation and power in theory to dismiss the cabinet. It could be argued that the strengthening of the Prince's powers vis-a-vis the legislature has moved Liechtenstein in the semi-presidential category. Similarly the original powers given to the This is a list of presidents of Greece. First Hellenic Republic President Born-Died From-To Comments Pavlos Koundouriotis 1855-1935 March 25, 1924- March 15, 1926 Theodoros Pangalos 1878-1952 March 15, 1926- August 24, 1926 Military dictator Pavlos Koundouriotis 1855-1935 August 24, 1926 - December 9, 1929 Alexandros... Greek President of the Republic under the 1974 Hellenic Republic constitution made Greece more akin to the French semi-presidential model. And the theoretical power of the British monarch to dismiss their government at will would suggest that the United Kingdom should belong to the semi-presidential category also. In reality the category to which each head of stateship belongs is assessed not by theory but by practice. In practice no British monarch has forced a government from office since the early nineteenth century, while the Greek Republic in reality even before the powers of the President of the Republic were curtailed operated as a standard parliamentary system. Unless and until a Prince of Liechtenstein exercises the theoretical powers they now possess, the principality would still remain categorised as a parliamentary system.

Roles of the head of state

Depending on which category (above) a head of state belongs to, they may have some or all of the roles listed below.

Chief diplomatic officer

• The head of state accredits his or her country's For other uses, see Ambassador (disambiguation). An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own. In everyday usage it applies to the ranking plenipotentiary minister stationed in a... ambassadors, through sending formal A letter of credence is a formal letter sent by one head of state to another formally accrediting a named individual (usually but not always a diplomat) to be their ambassador in the country of the head of state receiving the letter of credence. A letter of recall is the... Letters of Credence to other heads of state. Without that accreditation, Ipso facto is a Latin phrase meaning by that very fact. It is a technical term used in philosophy and law. Aside from its technical uses, it occurs frequently in literature, particularly in scholarly addenda; e.g. Faustus had signed his life away, and was, ipso facto, incapable of repentance... ipso facto an ambassador does not take up a role and receive diplomatic status.
• He or she receives Letters of Credence, sent by other heads of state accrediting his/her ambassador to the state.
• He or she signs international treaties on behalf of the state, or has them signed in his/her name by ministers.

Example: under the This article is part of the series Politics of Germany Constitution Bundestag Bundesrat Federal Convention Constitutional Court President Chancellor Cabinet States of Germany Districts of Germany Elections 2002 | 1998 | 1994 | 1990 | 1987 | 1983 | 1980 | 1976 | 1972 | 1969 | 1965 | 1961 | 1957 | 1953 | 1949 Political Parties:    SPD | CDU/CSU  ... Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (constitution), Article 59 (1) states -

The Federal President shall represent the Federation in its international relations. He shall conclude treaties with foreign states on behalf of the Federation. He shall accredit and receive envoys.

Chief executive officer

In the vast majority of states, whether republics or monarchies, Articles related to Separation of powers Executive Legislature Judiciary Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. The de facto most senior figure in an executive is referred to as the head of government. The... executive authority is vested, at least notionally, in the head of state. In presidential systems the head of state is the actual, de facto chief executive officer. Under parliamentary systems the executive authority is theoretically exercised by the head of state but in practice exercised on the advice of the prime minister or cabinet. This produces such terms as Her Majesty's Government and His Excellency's Government. Examples of parliamentary systems in which the head of state is notional chief executive include Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (Latin continere, to hold together) is a large continuous mass of... Australia, The Republic of Austria ( German (Deutsch) Spoken in: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and 38 other countries. Region: Europe Total speakers: 120 million Ranking: 9 Genetic classification: Indo-European  Germanic   West Germanic    Old High German    Middle High German    Modern German... Austria, Canada is an independent This article discusses states as sovereign political entities. For other meanings, see state (disambiguation). In international law and international relations, a state is a geographic political entity possessing politicial sovereignty, i.e. not being subject to any higher political authority. In casual language, the idea of... Canada, For other uses, see Denmark - a country in Europe. Denmark, Wisconsin - a town in the United States. Denmark, New York - a town in the United States. Denmark, Maine - a town in the United States. Denmark, South Carolina - a town in the United States. Denmark Township, Minnesota - a township in the... Denmark, Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. Subject to disclaimers. Trying... France, For other uses, see Italy is the name of: a European country: Italy places in the United States Italy, New York - a town in Yates County Italy, Texas - a town in Ellis County, Texas This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Italy and the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a This article describes a type of political entity. Country is also a short form for the Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled... United Kingdom. The few exceptions include the The Republic of Ireland ( Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. See IPA in Unicode if you have display problems. Irish (Gaeilge) is a Goidelic language spoken in Ireland and in small communities in Canada and Argentina. Irish is constitutionally recognised as... Republic of Ireland, where executive authority is explicitly vested in the cabinet, and The Kingdom of Sweden ( Swedish (svenska) Spoken in: Sweden (Swedish: Sverige) is a Nordic country in Scandinavia, in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Norway on the west, Finland on the northeast, the Skagerrak and the Kattegat on the southwest, and the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia on... Sweden. The head of state may also be described, although, again, in parliamentary systems this is only a notional designation, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Example 1 (presidential system): Article 2, Section 1 of the Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America and is... United States Constitution states:

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.

Example 2 (Victorian era constitutional monarchy): Under Chapter II, Section 61 of the The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. The constitution was enacted as an Act of the United Kingdom parliament. It provided the new system of government for the new federation... Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, 1900:

The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor-General as the Queen's representative, and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Commonwealth.

Example 3 (mid-20th century constitutional monarchy): According to Section 12 of the Constitution of Denmark 1953:

Subject to the limitations laid down in this Constitution Act the King shall have the supreme authority in all the affairs of the Realm, and he shall exercise such supreme authority through the Ministers.

Example 4 (modern republican parliamentary system): According to Article 26 (2) of the 1975 The Syntagma (Σύνταγμα), the Constitution of Greece is resolved by the Fifth Revisionary Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975. It has been revised twice since then, in 1985 and in 2001. It is set out in 4 parts. The... Constitution of Greece:

The executive power shall be exercised by the President of the Republic and by the government.

President Putin recieving letters of creedance from the French abmassador (http://www.gov.ru/) This image may not have information on its source. It may be usable under fair use but this has yet to be verified. It might be public domain or under a licence compatible with the GNU...

Russian Head of State and President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Please see its description page there. To play the audio file do not click on the -image. Look for a Listen-link near this icon. Click on the back button of your browser to go back to the article... Vladimir Putin receives the A letter of credence is a formal letter sent by one head of state to another formally accrediting a named individual (usually but not always a diplomat) to be their ambassador in the country of the head of state receiving the letter of credence. A letter of recall is the... Letters of Credence from the French ambassador.

Chief appointments officer

• He or she appoints all the key officials in the state, including members of the cabinet, the prime minister (if there is one), key judicial figures and all major office holders. In most parliamentary systems the prime minister is appointed with the consent of the legislature, and other figures are appointed on the prime minister's advice. Some countries have exceptions - under Article 4 of the The Swedish Constitution consists of four fundamental laws (Swedish: grundlagar): This article is part of the Politics of Sweden series Constitution Parliament Government Monarch Speaker Prime Minister Elections: 2002 - 1998 Referenda Political parties Agencies Privy Council The Estates The Instrument of Government (1974) The Act of Succession (1810) The Freedom... Instrument of Government 1974, the constitution of Sweden grants to the parliamentary speaker the role of formally appointing the prime minister. In practice, this decision is often a formality. The last time a The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a This article describes a type of political entity. Country is also a short form for the Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled... United Kingdom monarch actually had a choice over who to pick to be prime minister occurred in 1963, when Queen Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... Elizabeth II chose The Rt Hon. Sir Alec Douglas-Home Period in Office: 19 October 1963 - 16 October 1964 PM Predecessor: Harold Macmillan PM Successor: Harold Wilson Date of Birth: July 2, 1903 Place of Birth: Mayfair, London Political Party: Conservative Retirement honour: Life Barony (Home of the Hirsel) Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home... Alec Douglas-Home to succeed The Right Hon. Harold Macmillan Period in Office: 11 January 1957 - 19 October 1963 PM Predecessor: Anthony Eden PM Successor: The Earl of Home Date of Birth: 10 February 1894 Place of Birth: Brixton Political Party: Conservative Retirement honour: Earldom of Stockton Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM... Harold Macmillan. In presidential systems such as that of the United States, appointments are nominated by the president's sole discretion, and this nomination if often subject to parliamentary confirmation (in the case of the U.S., the The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. Together, they compose the legislative branch of the United States government. Seal of the Senate Each state elects two senators through statewide elections. The Constitution of the United States... U.S. Senate has to approve cabinet nominees and judicial appointments by simple majority).

• He or she may dismiss office-holders. In parliamentary systems, this is only done on the binding advice of another office-holder; for example, members of the Irish cabinet are dismissed by the This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland President Council of State Oireachtas Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Supreme Court Judiciary Constitution Referendum Political parties Elections: President: 2004 Legislature: 2002 The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is... President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach (prime minister). In some instances, the head of state may be able to dismiss an office holder themselves. Many heads of state or their representatives have the theoretical power to dismiss any office-holder while it is exceptionally rarely used. Its use is sometimes controversial, such as when the Australian Governor-General dismissed the prime minister during the 1975 The Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 is generally regarded as the most significant domestic political and constitutional crisis in Australias history. Whitlam listens to the proclamation of the dissolution of Parliament being read by the Governor-Generals official secretary, David Smith The crisis began when the upper house... Australian Constitutional Crisis. In Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. Subject to disclaimers. Trying... France, while the president cannot force the prime minister to tender the resignation of his government, he in practice can request it if the prime minister is from his own majority. In presidential systems, the president often has the power to fire ministers at his sole discretion. In the U.S., convention calls for cabinet secretaries to resign on their own initiative when called to do so.

in public domain This image may not have information on its source. It may be usable under fair use but this has yet to be verified. It might be public domain or under a licence compatible with the GNU FDL. To the uploader: Please provide licensing information as soon as...

Albert II Albert II King of the Belgians Became King: August 9, 1993 Predecessor: Baudouin Date of Birth: June 6, 1934 Place of Birth: Brussels, Belgium Heir-Apparent: The Duke of Brabant His Majesty King Albert II (Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Christian Eugène Marie Wettin), styled HM... King Albert II - Head of State of the For other uses, see Belgium is: a country in Europe, see United States: Belgium, Illinois Belgium, Wisconsin Belgium (town), Wisconsin Belgium Township, Minnesota Belgium, West Virginia a curse word in the radio series and US version of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is also... Kingdom of Belgium

Example 1 (semi-presidential system): Chapter 4, Section 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea states:

The Prime Minister is appointed by the President with the consent of the National Assembly.

Example 2 (parliamentary system): Article 13.1.1 of the This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland President Council of State Oireachtas Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Supreme Court Judiciary Constitution Referendum Political parties Elections: President: 2004 Legislature: 2002 The Constitution of Ireland is the founding legal document of the... Constitution of Ireland:

The President shall, on the nomination of Dáil Éireann [the lower house], appoint the Taoiseach [prime minister].

Signing bills into law

Most states require that all In Westminster System parliaments, an Act of Parliament is a part of the law passed by the Parliament. It can also be a private bill. It usually starts as a draft proposal, known as a White Paper. A Bill is then introduced into the House of Commons or House of... bills passed by the house or houses of the legislature are signed into law by the head of state. In some states, such as the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the head of state is in fact formally considered a tier of parliament. In presidential systems the head of state often has power to veto a bill. In most parliamentary systems, however, the head of state cannot refuse to sign a bill, but may, in granting a bill their assent, nevertheless indicate that it was passed in accordance with the correct procedures. The signing of a bill into law is formally known as Promulgation is the act of formally proclaiming new legislation to the public. This occurs when the law receives final formal approval. It is generally performed by the head of state who either acts in accordance with constitutional rules or convention. In the United Kingdom and in Commonwealth Realms, promulgation is... promulgation. Some Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were once governed by the United Kingdom and are its former colonies. It was formerly known as the British Commonwealth (or British Commonwealth of Nations), and many still call... Commonwealth of Nations states call this procedure granting the The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a Sovereign or the Sovereigns representative in the United Kingdom and in Commonwealth Realms completes the process of the enactment of legislation by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. While the power to withhold Royal Assent was... Royal Assent.

Example 1 (presidential system): Article 1, Section 7 of the Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America and is... United States Constitution states:

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States.

Example 2 (parliamentary system): Section 11.a.1. of the Basic Laws of Israel function as Israels uncodified constitution. The State of Israel has no formal constitution. This was done partially for religious reasons, with many religious Jews opposing the idea of their nation having a document which the government would regard as nominally higher in authority than religious... Basic Laws of Israel states:

The President of the State shall sign every Law, other than a Law relating to its powers.

In some parliamentary systems the head of state retains certain powers, in relation to bills, that they may exercise at their discretion. They may have authority to:

• Veto a bill until the houses of the legislature have reconsidered it, and approved it a second time.
• Reserve a bill to be signed later, or suspend it indefinitely (generally in states with the Royal Prerogative; this power is rarely is used).
• Refer a bill to the courts to test its constitutionality (e.g. the This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland President Council of State Oireachtas Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Supreme Court Judiciary Constitution Referendum Political parties Elections: President: 2004 Legislature: 2002 The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is... President of Ireland)
• Refer a bill to the people in a A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may be the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a... referendum (e.g. the President of Ireland may do so in certain circumstances).

Supreme commander of the military

• A head of state is generally the notional or literal Commander-in-Chief (in For the National Association of Theatre Owners, please see The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is a trade organization based in the United States whose members are the owners of movie theaters. Most major theater chains are members, as are many independent theater operators; collectively... commander-in-chief of a state's The armed forces of a This article discusses states as sovereign political entities. For other meanings, see state (disambiguation). In international law and international relations, a state is a geographic political entity possessing politicial sovereignty, i.e. not being subject to any higher political authority. In casual language, the idea... armed forces, holding the highest office in all military In a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed. The line will generally go from a higher ranked soldier who gives the order, i.e. an officer, down to a lower ranked soldier who is ordered to do something... chains of command.

Example: Article II, Section 2 of the Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America and is... United States Constitution states:

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States.

• In military dictatorships, or governments which have arisen from coups-de-état, this position is obvious, as all authority in such a government derives from the application of military force.

Summoning and dissolving the legislature

• A head of state is often empowered to summon and dissolve the legislature. In most parliamentary systems, this is done on the advice of the prime minister or cabinet. In some parliamentary systems, and in some presidential systems, the head of state may on their own initiative do so. Some states, however, have fixed term parliaments, with no option of bringing forward elections (e.g. Article II, Section 3, of the Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America and is... U.S. Constitution). In other systems there are fixed terms, but the head of state retains authority to dissolve the legislature in certain circumstances. Where a prime minister has lost the confidence of parliament, some states allow the head of state to refuse a parliamentary dissolution, where one is requested, forcing the prime minister's resignation.

Example: Article 13.2.2. of the This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland President Council of State Oireachtas Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Supreme Court Judiciary Constitution Referendum Political parties Elections: President: 2004 Legislature: 2002 The Constitution of Ireland is the founding legal document of the... Constitution of Ireland states:

The President may in absolute discretion refuse to dissolve This article is part of the series This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland President Council of State Oireachtas Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Supreme Court Judiciary Constitution Referendum Political parties Elections: President: 2004 Legislature: 2002 The Republic of Ireland... Dáil Éireann on the advice of a Taoiseach [prime minister] who has ceased to retain the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann

Symbolic role

As the above quote by Charles de Gaulle indicates, one of the most important roles of the modern head of state is being a symbolic National symbols are symbols of states, nations and countries in the world. National symbols are created to unite people by creating visual, verbal, or iconic representations of a nations people, values, goals, or history. These symbols are often rallied around as part of celebrations of patriotism and are designed... national symbol of the nation.

In most countries Self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh A portrait is a painting, photograph, or other artistic representation of a person. Portraits are often simple head shots and are not usually overly elaborate or creative. The intent is to show the basic appearance of the person, and occasionally some artistic insight into... portraits of the head of state can be found in government offices, airports, libraries, and other buildings of the sort. The idea is to use these portraits to make the public aware of the symbolic connection to the government, a practice that dates back to mediaeval times. Sometimes this practice is taken to excess, and the head of state begins to believe that he is the only symbol of the nation. A Adolf Hitler built a strong cult of personality, based on the Führerprinzip. Cult of personality or personality cult is a derogatory term for what is perceived to be excessive adulation of a single living leader. The term was coined by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev soon after the death of... personality cult thus ensues, where the image of the head of state is the only visual representation of the country, surpassing other symbols such as the For other uses, see Flag (disambiguation). French Tricolore flag A flag is a piece of cloth flown from a pole or mast, usually intended for signaling or identification. Flags were initially created for signalling (as in semaphore), and for the identification of those who displayed them, and are still used... flag, For the entry on the naval ship U.S.S. Constitution, see: Career Laid down: Summer 1795 Launched: October 21, 1797 Commissioned: October 10, 1797 Status: Commissioned as a museum ship General Characteristics Displacement: 2,200 tons Length: 175 feet (53m) bp, 204 feet (62m) total Beam: 43.5 feet... constitution, Founding Fathers are persons instrumental not only in the establishment (founding) of a political institution, but also in the origination of the idea of the institution. It is applied especially to those men involved with the creation and early development of the United States of America, such as the signers... founding fathers, etc.

In diplomatic affairs, heads of state are often the first person to greet an important foreign visitor. They may also assume a sort of informal "host" role during the VIP's visit, inviting the visitor to a state dinner at his or her mansion or palace, or some other equally hospitable affair.

Selection of heads of state

a personal photo Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. Subject...

A large portrait of Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... Queen Elizabeth II, with HRH The Duke of Edinburgh His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Philip Mountbatten), styled HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (born June 10, 1921), is the consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Originally a Greek citizen, holding the titles... Prince Philip, hanging in a Canadian courthouse. Queen Elizabeth is a multiple head of state, and is Queen of Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (Latin continere, to hold together) is a large continuous mass of... Australia, Canada is an independent This article discusses states as sovereign political entities. For other meanings, see state (disambiguation). In international law and international relations, a state is a geographic political entity possessing politicial sovereignty, i.e. not being subject to any higher political authority. In casual language, the idea of... Canada, For other uses, see Jamaica (disambiguation). Jamaica is a country in the Caribbean Sea, located south of Cuba and to the west of Hispaniola, on which Haiti and the Dominican Republic are situated. Jamaica (In Detail) National motto: Out of Many One People Official language English Capital and largest city... Jamaica, For alternative meanings, see New Zealand (disambiguation). New Zealand is a country formed of two major islands and a number of Pacific Ocean. A common Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, popularly translated as Land of the Long White Cloud. New Zealand also maintains responsibility for the... New Zealand, the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a This article describes a type of political entity. Country is also a short form for the Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled... United Kingdom, and eleven A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states that recognize Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. In each state she acts as the monarch of that state and is titled accordingly. For example, in Australia she is known as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth... other states (1952-present)

A heads of state may acquire their position in a number of ways:

• The position of a monarch is usually hereditary. There are rare exceptions to this, such as the For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation). Pope John Paul II has reigned since 22 Oct 1978. The Pope is the Catholic bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches (note that the name within the communion is simply the one Holy Catholic... Pope.
• The head of state of a republic is usually elected, either:
  • Directly: through popular election.
  • Indirectly: by members of the legislature or of a special college of electors.
• A head of state who is an authoritarian ruler may seize power. Dictators often use democratic titles, though some proclaim themselves monarchs. Examples of the latter include Emperor Napoleon III of France ... Napoleon III of France and King King Zog of Albania King Zog (October 8, 1895–April 9, 1961) was an Albanian politician and the first king of Albania from 1928 to 1939. Contents // 1 Background and early political career 2 Albanian president and king 3 Legacy 4 See also 5 External links Background and early... Zog of Albania. Generalísimo Francisco Franco, caudillo de España por la gracia de Dios Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade (December 4, 1892 - November 20, 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco, was dictator of Spain from 1939 until... Francisco Franco, who adopted the formal title Jefe del Estado, or Chief of State, and established himself as For the insecticide Regent, see Regent (insecticide) A regent is an acting governor. In a monarchy, a regent usually rules due to the actual monarchs absence, incapacity, or minority. In the case of Finland and Hungary, military officers served as regents in the absence of a monarch, while in... regent for a vacant monarchy. Idi Amin Dada General Idi Amin Dada Oumee (May 17, 1928? - August 16, 2003) was the military dictator of Uganda from January 25, 1971, to April 13, 1979. Idi Amin was born in the Kakwa tribe, near Koboko in the West Nile Arua district. The year is not known, due... Idi Amin made himself President for Life is a title assumed by some dictators to ensure that their authority, legitimacy, and term is never questioned or disputed. The first well-known incident of a leader extending his term indefinitely was Roman dictator Julius Caesar, who made himself Perpetual Dictator (commonly mistranslated as Dictator-for... President for Life, and Kim Jong-il Korean Name McCune-Reischauer Kim Chŏng-il Revised Romanization Gim Jeong-il Hangul 김정일 Hanja 金正日 Kim Jong-il (born February 16, 1942) has been the leader of North Korea since 1994. He succeeded his father, Kim Il-sung, who had... Kim Jong Il of North Korea is styled "the Dear Leader."

Governors-general

In some cases, where one person is head of state of multiple countries, they may be represented by a Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. The title has been, and is still used... governor-general. Examples are Canada is an independent This article discusses states as sovereign political entities. For other meanings, see state (disambiguation). In international law and international relations, a state is a geographic political entity possessing politicial sovereignty, i.e. not being subject to any higher political authority. In casual language, the idea of... Canada, Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire Dymaxion map by Buckminster Fuller shows land mass with minimal distortion as only one continuous continent A continent (Latin continere, to hold together) is a large continuous mass of... Australia and For alternative meanings, see New Zealand (disambiguation). New Zealand is a country formed of two major islands and a number of Pacific Ocean. A common Māori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, popularly translated as Land of the Long White Cloud. New Zealand also maintains responsibility for the... New Zealand, where the monarch, Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... Queen Elizabeth II, resides in another of her kingdoms, the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a This article describes a type of political entity. Country is also a short form for the Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. Such areas are distinct from more intensively settled... United Kingdom, and so is represented by a governor-general. Nations outside of the UK that recognise Elizabeth II as their queen are known as A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states that recognize Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. In each state she acts as the monarch of that state and is titled accordingly. For example, in Australia she is known as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth... Commonwealth Realms, and maintain ties to the monarchy as a recognition of their colonial history.

The Governor-General may fulfill many of the roles of a head of state, but is not legally the head of state, rather an appointed representative of the head of state that may act in her place in her absence from the state. A governor-general may be considered de facto head of state as the monarch rarely exercises the A reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the head of state of a country in certain exceptional circumstances. Reserve powers of constitutional monarchs Heads of state in countries with either an unwritten constitution (e.g., the United Kingdom) or a constitution that consists of a written... reserve powers of the crown. See, for example, the Politics of Canada Executive Monarchy (The Crown) Governor General Prime Minister Cabinet Legislative Parliament Senate Speaker of the Senate Government Leader in the Senate Opposition Leader in the Senate House of Commons Speaker of the House Government House Leader Leader of the Official Opposition Judicial Supreme Court Lower Courts of... Queen of Canada.

In diplomatic situations, governors-general are often accorded the full status and privileges of a head of state.

Titles

Along with President, King, and Queen, a few Heads of State use different titles.

There are also a few nations in which the exact title and definition of the office of Head of State is vague. These include Kim Jong-il Korean Name McCune-Reischauer Kim Chŏng-il Revised Romanization Gim Jeong-il Hangul 김정일 Hanja 金正日 Kim Jong-il (born February 16, 1942) has been the leader of North Korea since 1994. He succeeded his father, Kim Il-sung, who had... Kim Jong Il in North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia... North Korea and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (Persian: آیت‌الله سید علی خامنه‌ای) (born July 15, 1939) is the Iran. He studied Islamic philosophy and became a teacher in it. He was a... Ali Khamenei of Iran ( Persian ( Parsi پارسی ) Spoken in: Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and parts of Uzbekistan Region: Middle east Total speakers: 61.7 million Ranking: 29 Genetic classification: Indo-European  Indo-Iranian   Iranian    Western     Southwestern   ... Iran (the Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran. (1989-present) The post of Supreme Leader (ولی فقیه or رهبر in Persian) was created in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the central political and religious power. The Supreme Leader... Supreme Leader).

Statistics

• World's longest serving current Head of State: King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King Rama IX of Thailand His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej (ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช, Phumiphon Adunyadet), King Rama IX of Thailand (royal name Phra Chaoyuhua Bhumibol Adulyadej), the Great (born December 5, 1927), has been King of Thailand since... Rama IX of Thailand (since 1946 is the common year starting on Tuesday. (see link for calendar) Years: 1943 1944 1945 - 1946 - 1947 1948 1949 Decades: 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1946 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation - Rail transport... 1946)
• World's longest serving current non-monarch Head of State: President Cuban President Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13, 1926) has ruled Cuba since 1959, when, leading the 26th of July Movement, he helped overthrow the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and turn Cuba into the first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere. He held the title of premier... Fidel Castro of For other uses, see Cuba (disambiguation). The Republic of Cuba is an archipelago in the northern Caribbean that lies between the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. To the north are found the United States and the Bahamas, to the west Mexico, to the south the... Cuba (since 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Years: 1973 1974 1975 - 1976 - 1977 1978 1979 Decades: 1940s 1950s 1960s - 1970s - 1980s 1990s 2000s Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1976 in topic: Arts Architecture - Art - Film - Literature - Music Science and technology Aviation... 1976)
• Nations with multiple people as Head of State: The Swiss Confederation or Switzerland is a landlocked federal state in This article is about the continent. For alternative meanings, see: Europe (disambiguation) World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογο... Switzerland (seven-member The Swiss Federal Council (in German: Bundesrat, in French: Conseil fédéral, in Italian: Consiglio federale, in Romansh: Cussegl Federal) is the seven-member executive council which collectively assumes the office of head of state equivalent to that of a president or of a monarch in the government of... Federal Council); For other uses, see San Marino is the Italian form of the name of Saint Marinus. San Marino, a small country in Europe, surrounded by Italy San Marino, San Marino, the capital city of that country San Marino, California, a city in the United States At least 4 towns in... San Marino (two "Captains-regent"); Principat dAndorra ( Flag Ratio: 7:10 The national flag of Andorra was adopted in 1866. The flag design consists of a tricolor of blue, yellow and red with the coat of arms in the center. National flags List of national flags | Gallery of national flags List of national coats... Andorra (president of Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. Subject to disclaimers. Trying... France and bishop of Urgell is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of Pallars and Cerdanya. Its maximal extension territory was between the Pyrenees and the taifa of Lleida, that is, the current comarques of Alt Urgell, Noguera, Solsonès, Pla dUrgell, Urgell itself, and the still independent country... Urgell, The Kingdom of Spain or Spain ( Spanish (espa ol or castellano) Spoken in: Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Nicaragua, Chile, USA, Venezuela, Costa Rica , Cuba, Peru, and 34 other countries. Region: Total speakers: 417 million (including second language speakers) Ranking: 2 (first language speakers, may vary based on metric) Genetic classification... Spain, co-princes); Bosnia and Herzegovina (officially Bosna i Hercegovina, shortened to BiH, also in English variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). The... Bosnia and Herzegovina (three member presidency, from three different nations).
• Person who serves as Head of State in the most nations: Queen Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... Elizabeth II serves as Head of State in 16 different independent countries.

Official residences

Every head of state is provided with a state residence or residences, often called a 'palace'. Among the most famous such residences are:

• Old Royal Palace - Seal of the President of Serbia The President of Serbia is the head of state of the Republic of Serbia. The current President of Serbia is Boris Tadić, who won a majority of votes in the Serbian presidential elections, 2004. Authority, legal and constitutional rights The Presidents can: preside... President of Serbia
• Áras an Uachtaráin - This article is part of the series Politics of the R. of Ireland President Council of State Oireachtas Dáil Éireann Seanad Éireann Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Supreme Court Judiciary Constitution Referendum Political parties Elections: President: 2004 Legislature: 2002 The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is... President of Ireland
• Schloss Bellevue Bellevue Palace (German: Schloss Bellevue) is a château north of the Tiergarten park in Berlin. It is the residence of the German President, currently Horst Köhler. Bellevue Palace currently undergoes reconstruction works until end of 2005. The president uses Schloss Charlottenburg for representative purposes during this... Bellevue Palace - This article is part of the series Politics of Germany Constitution Bundestag Bundesrat Federal Convention Constitutional Court President Chancellor Cabinet States of Germany Districts of Germany Elections 2002 | 1998 | 1994 | 1990 | 1987 | 1983 | 1980 | 1976 | 1972 | 1969 | 1965 | 1961 | 1957 | 1953 | 1949 Political Parties:    SPD | CDU/CSU  ... Federal President of Germany
• Cheong Wa Dae Korean Name Revised Romanisation Cheongwadae McCune-Reischauer Chongwadae Han-geul 청와대 Hanja 청와대 Cheong Wa Dae (Chong-wadae) is the executive office and official residence of the South Korean head of state, the President of the Republic of Korea. History The... Blue House - The President is head of state of South Korea. Presidents of the Government in Exile The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was based in Shanghai, China. Although the current South Korean government insists on being its successor to assert legitimacy, the government was not internationally recognized. Rhee Syng... President of South Korea
• Buckingham Palace and the Victoria memorial. This principal facade of 1850 by Edward Blore was redesigned in 1913 by Sir Aston Webb. Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch and the largest working royal palace remaining in the world. The palace originally known as Buckingham House... Buckingham Palace - This article is part of the series Politics of the United Kingdom Parliament Crown House of Lords    Lord Chancellor House of Commons    Speaker Prime Minister Cabinet Government Departments Scottish Parliament    Scottish Executive National Assembly for Wales    Welsh Assembly... Queen of the United Kingdom
• The Casa Rosada (Pink House), officially known as the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), is the official residence of the President of Argentina. The Casa Rosada has been, since the foundation of the city of Buenos Aires, where the top political institutions of Argentina were located. The current building, however... Casa Rosada - List of Heads of State (Presidents and Dictators etc.) of Argentina and its precursor states. (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office; names in bold italics indicates a nickname (etc.) by which the individual is commonly known) The United Provinces of La Plata 1816 to 1825 A federation... President of Argentina
• Élysée Palace - This article is part of the series This article discusses political groups and tendencies in Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no... President of the French Republic
• Hofburg Imperial Palace - The Leopoldine Wing of Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna: home to the offices of the Federal President. The Austrian Federal President (German: Österreichischer Bundespräsident) is the federal head of state of Austria. Though theoretically entrusted with great power by the constitution, in practice the President acts, for the most... Austrian Federal President
• Imperial Palace Garden Imperial Palace Garden Defensive wall and building above moat surrounding Kōkyo Nijubashi, a bridge within the grounds of the Kokyo Kokyo (皇居, Kōkyo) is the Japanese Imperial palace in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo. After the Meiji Restoration, the Imperial court moved... Kokyo - His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. From the dawn of history until the mid-twentieth century the role of the Emperor has alternated between that of... Emperor of Japan
• Los Pinos - Seal of the Office of the President of Mexico The President of Mexico is the head of state of Mexico. Under the constitution, the president is also the head of government and the commander-in-chief of the Mexican army, navy, and air force. Currently, the office of the president... President of Mexico
• The Moscow Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (Russian: Московский Кремль) is the best known kremlin (Russian citadel). It is a fortified complex (see Kremlin towers) which includes the Kremlin Palaces and Kremlin Cathedrals, overlooking the Red Square... Kremlin - List of President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership (from Latin prae- before + sedere to sit). Originally, the term usually referred to the presiding officer of a ceremony or meeting (i.e... President of Russia
• Palacio Real de Madrid The Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) is the official residence of the King of Spain, located in the Spanish capital of Madrid. King Juan Carlos and his family do not reside in the palace, instead choosing a smaller palace, the Palacio de la... Palacio Real de Madrid - This article is part of the series Politics of Spain The Crown - Head of State Cortes Generales - Legislative branch    Congress of Deputies    Senate    Regional legislatures Political parties in Spain Elections in Spain: 1977 - 1979 - 1982 - 1986 1989 - 1993 - 1996 - 2000 2004... King of Spain
• The Palace of the Vatican, also called the Papal Palace or the Apostolic Palace, is the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. The palace is a complex of buildings, comprising the papal apartments, the Roman Catholic churchs government offices, a handful of chapels, the Vatican Museum... Vatican Palace - For other uses, see Pope (disambiguation). Pope John Paul II has reigned since 22 Oct 1978. The Pope is the Catholic bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches (note that the name within the communion is simply the one Holy Catholic... Pope
• The Quirinal Palace (known in Italian as the Quirinale) is the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic. The palace, located on the Via del Quirinale and faces onto the Piazza del Quirinale, was built in 1573 by Pope Gregory XIII as a papal summer residence. It was... Quirinal Palace - This is the List of Presidents of Italy with the title Presidente della Repubblica since 1948. 1946-1948: Enrico De Nicola (1877-1959) 1948-1955: Luigi Einaudi (1874-1961) 1955-1962: Giovanni Gronchi (1887-1978) 1962-1964: Antonio Segni (1891-1972) 1964-1971: Giuseppe Saragat (1898-1988) 1971-1978: Giovanni... President of the Italian Republic
• Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the President of India, located in New Delhi. Until 1950 it was known as Viceroys House and served as the residence of the Governor-General of India. During the Delhi Durbar year of 1911 it was decided that the capital of India... Rashtrapati Bhavan - The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of India and the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces. The current President of the Republic of India is Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Contents // 1 History 2 Constitutional Role 3 List of Governors-General of India after... President of India
• This page is about the official residence of the President of the USA. For other White Houses see White House (disambiguation). See also 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (musical). The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United... White House - For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. Seal of the President of the United States, official impression The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. Under the U.S. Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of... President of the United States
• Depiction of the Malacañang Palace at the back of the 20-peso bill. Malacañang Palace is the official residence of the president of the Philippines. The palace is located along the north bank of the Pasig River in Manila. It is called Palasyo ng Malakanyang in Filipino, and... Malacanang Palace - The President is the head of state and of the government of the Republic of the Philippines. The president heads the Executive branch of the government, which includes the Cabinet, and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Seal of the President of the Philippines... President of the Philippines
• Government House is the name usually given to the residence of British Governors, Lieutenant Governors and Governors General and other colonial administrators in the former British Empire and now the Commonwealth. The House functions nearly as a presidential palace. It serves as the venue for the Governors official business... Government House is a generic term used for gubernatorial residences in many nations. For example, the The Governor-General of Australia is the highest constitutional officer in the Commonwealth of Australia. The Governor-General is, in an extremely limited sense, the representative in Australia of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, who resides in the United Kingdom. The powers of the Governor-General are exercised without... Governor-General of Australia resides in Government House, Canberra Government House Locality Map Government House, Canberra, commonly known as Yarralumla is the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia, located in the suburb of Yarralumla, Canberra. Between the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 and 1927, the Australian government was located in Melbourne... Government House, Canberra. However, the The Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada, normally simply known as the Governor General of Canada in French, Gouverneur(e) général(e) is the Canadian representative of the monarch (presently Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II). Unlike in some other countries, the title of the... Governor General of Canada is an exception, as his or her primary residence is Rideau Hall is the official residence of both the Queen of Canada and the Governor General of Canada. Rideau Hall, residence of the Governor General of Canada It is located on 79 acres (0.32 km2) of land at One Sussex Drive in Ottawa. It was built in 1838 by... Rideau Hall. Declarations printed in the Canada Gazette by the Governor General of Canada are nonetheless given the title Government House. However the residence of the first and second The Governor-General of the Irish Free State (Irish: Seanascal Shaorstáit Eireann) was the representative of the Crown in the Irish Free State between 1922 and 1936. Until 1927 the Governor-General was also the agent of the British Government in the Irish Free State. Contents // 1 List of... Governors-General of the Irish Free State was known as the Áras an Uachtaráin is the official residence of the President of Ireland, located in the Phoenix Park on the Northside of Dublin1. Contents // 1 Origins 2 Murder 3 Residence of the Irish Governor-General 4 Residence of the President of Ireland 5 The Ghost of Winston Churchill 6 Visitors... Viceregal Lodge, the building's name under the preceding Representative of the Crown, the The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of Englands (pre-1707) or Britains (post 1707) administration in Ireland. The office was originally the central focus of English/British administration in Ireland under the... Lords Lieutenant of Ireland. (The building, which is now the residence of the President of Ireland, is now called Áras an Uachtaráin).

See also

• Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. The title has been, and is still used... Governor-General
• The head of government is the leader of the government or cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is known as a premier or prime minister. In presidential systems, the head of government may be the same person as the head of state which is usually titled president... Head of government
• This is a list of heads of state, government leaders, and other rulers in any given year. Leaders by year State leaders Religious leaders Intl organization leaders Colonial governors Canadian incumbents British incumbents German rulers US state governors Lists of office-holders Contents // 1 Twenty-first century 2 Twentieth... Heads of state timeline
• This is a List of national leaders, showing heads of state and heads of government where different, mainly in parliamentary systems; it should be noted that often a leader is both in presidential systems or dictatorships. Some states have semi-presidential systems where the head of government role is fulfilled... List of national leaders
• Contents // 1 Algeria 2 Antigua and Barbuda 3 Argentina 4 Australia 5 Austria 6 The Bahamas 7 Bahrain 8 Belarus 9 Belgium 10 Bhutan 11 Brazil 12 Brunei Darussalam 13 Cambodia 14 Canada 15 Chile 16 Colombia 17 Côte dIvoire 18 Cyprus 19 Czech Republic 20 Denmark 21... List of official residences
• This article treats the generic title monarch. For the origins of the word king and its English use, see Germanic king. For other meanings of the word, see Monarch (disambiguation) A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state. The word derives from Greek monos archein, meaning one... Monarch
• President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership (from Latin prae- before + sedere to sit). Originally, the term usually referred to the presiding officer of a ceremony or meeting (i.e. chairman); but... President
• Alternative meaning: Prime Minister (band) A prime minister is the leading member of the Alternate meanings in cabinet (disambiguation) A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers or the Executive... Prime Minister