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Politics & Government vocabulary · Government and the Executive

Head of government

Meaning in politics & government, with examples

nounCommon term

In politics & government, head of government means: The person who leads the government and runs its daily work, such as a prime minister or, in presidential systems, the president.

In Turkish: hükümet başkanı, hükümetin başı

How it is used

Used in political science and international news, especially when comparing systems. The head of government chooses ministers, chairs cabinet meetings and is responsible for policy. Summits are often described as meetings of heads of state and government.

Example sentences

  1. In a parliamentary system, the head of government needs the support of a majority in parliament.

  2. In this country the president is both head of state and head of government.

Common collocations

  • heads of state and government
  • act as head of government
  • serve as head of government
  • head of stateThe person who officially represents a country at home and abroad, such as a president or monarch; in some systems the role is mainly ceremonial.
  • prime ministerThe leader of the government in many countries, usually the head of the largest party or coalition in parliament, who chairs the cabinet.
  • cabinetThe group of senior ministers, led by the prime minister or president, who meet regularly to decide government policy.
  • parliamentary systemA system of government in which the government comes from parliament and must keep the support of a majority there to stay in power.

More terms: Government and the Executive

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