Editing Executive (government) (section)

== Function ==
The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In democratic countries, the executive often exercises broad influence over national politics, though limitations are often applied to the executive.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Martinez |first=Jenny S. |date=2006 |title=Inherent Executive Power: A Comparative Perspective |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20455703 |journal=The Yale Law Journal |volume=115 |issue=9 |pages=2480–2511 |doi=10.2307/20455703 |jstor=20455703 |issn=0044-0094 |access-date=2022-12-30 |archive-date=2022-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230180659/https://www.jstor.org/stable/20455703 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In [[political system]]s based on the [[separation of powers]], government [[authority]] is distributed between several branches to prevent power from being concentrated in the hands of a single person or group. To achieve this, each branch is subject to checks by the other two; in general, the role of the [[legislature]] is to pass laws, which are then enforced by the executive, and interpreted by the [[judiciary]]. The executive can also be the source of certain types of law or law-derived rules, such as a [[decree]] or [[executive order]].

In those that use [[fusion of power]]s, typically [[parliamentary system]]s, such as the [[United Kingdom]], the executive forms the government, and its members generally belong to the political party that controls the legislature. Since the executive requires the support and approval of the legislature, the two bodies are "fused" together, rather than being independent. The principle of [[parliamentary sovereignty]] means powers possessed by the executive are solely dependent on those granted by the legislature, which can also subject its actions to judicial review. However, the executive often has wide-ranging powers stemming from the control of the government [[bureaucracy]], especially in the areas of overall [[Economic policy|economic]] or [[foreign policy]].