Editing Head of government (section)

== Titles of respective heads of government ==
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The most common title for a head of government is [[Prime minister|Prime Minister]]. This is used as a formal title in many states, but may also be an informal generic term to refer to whichever office is considered the principal minister under an otherwise styled [[head of state]], as ''minister''—[[Latin language|Latin]] for servants or subordinates—is a common title for members of a government (but many other titles are in use, e.g. [[chancellor]] and secretary of state). Formally the head of state can also be the head of government as well ([[ex officio]] or by ad hoc cumulation, such as a ruling monarch exercising all powers himself) but otherwise has formal precedence over the head of government and other ministers, whether he is their actual political superior (ruling monarch, executive president) or rather theoretical or ceremonial in character (constitutional monarch, non-executive president). Various constitutions use different titles, and even the same title can have various multiple meanings, depending on the constitutional order and political system of the state in question.

=== As political chief ===
In addition to prime minister, titles used for the democratic model, where there is an elected legislative body checking the head of government, include the following. Some of these titles relate to governments below the national level (e.g. states or provinces).

==== Alternative English terms and renderings ====
* [[Chancellor]] (primarily in German-speaking countries; today used in [[Germany]] and [[Austria]])
* [[Chief Minister]] (often subnational)
* [[Chief executive (gubernatorial)|Chief Executive]] (often subnational)
* [[First Minister]] (often subnational)
* [[Minister-President]]
* [[Premier]] (from French ''premier ministre'')
* [[President of the Council of Ministers]]
* [[President of the Council of State]]
* [[President of the Executive Council (disambiguation)|President of the Executive Council]]
* [[President of the Government (disambiguation)|President of the Government]]
* [[State Counsellor of Myanmar|State Counsellor]] (used exclusively in [[Myanmar]])
* [[State President of South Africa|State President]] (used exclusively in South Africa)
* [[Taoiseach]] (used in Ireland)

=== Under a dominant head of state ===
In a broader sense, a head of government can be used loosely when referring to various comparable positions under a dominant head of state (especially is the case of ancient or feudal eras, so the term "head of government", in this case, could be considered a contradiction in terms). In this case, the prime minister serves at the pleasure of the monarch and holds no more power than the monarch allows. Some such titles are diwan, [[mahamantri]], [[pradhan]], [[wasir]] or [[vizier]].

However, just because the head of state is the ''[[de jure]]'' dominant position does not mean that he/she will not always be the ''de facto'' political leader. A skilled head of government like 19th-century German statesman [[Otto von Bismarck]], [[Minister President of Prussia]] and later [[Chancellor of Germany]] under [[German Emperor|Emperor]]/[[King of Prussia|King]] [[Wilhelm I, German Emperor|Wilhelm I]], serves as an example showing that possession of formal powers does not equal political influence.

=== Indirectly referred as the head of state ===
In some cases, the head of state is a [[figurehead]] whilst the head of the government leads the ruling party. In some cases a head of government may even pass on the title in hereditary fashion. Such titles include the following:
* [[Mayor of the palace]] of the Merovingian kingdoms
* [[Nawab wasir]] of the Mughal Empire (also governor of [[Awadh]])
* [[Peshwa]] of [[Satara State|Satara]] and the [[Maratha empire]]
* ''[[Shōgun]]'' in feudal Japan
* [[Sultan]] in the original case of the [[Seljuk Turks]] who made the [[caliph]]s of [[Baghdad]] their puppets

=== Combined heads of state and government ===
[[File:Dilma Rousseff and Cristina Kirchner at 48th Mercosur Summit (2).jpg|thumb|President [[Dilma Rousseff]] of Brazil and President [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner|Christina Kirchner]] of Argentina in 2015.]]

In some models the head of state and head of government are one and the same. These include:
* [[President (government title)|President]] (chief executive)
* An [[Absolute monarchy|absolute monarch]] reigning and ruling without a separate principal minister
* [[Chief magistrate]]
* [[Führer]] (used in [[Nazi Germany]] for [[Adolf Hitler]])
* [[Supreme Leader (disambiguation)]]
* A [[Governor (United States)|State Governor in the United States]] (subnational executives)
An alternative formula is a single chief political body (e.g., [[presidium]]) which collectively leads the government and provides (e.g. by turns) the ceremonial Head of state. The only state in which this system is currently employed is [[Switzerland]] but other countries such as [[Uruguay]] [[National Council of Government (Uruguay)|have employed it in the past]]. This system is described as the [[directorial system]].
* [[Sultan of Brunei]]
* [[King of Saudi Arabia]]
''See [[Head of state]] for further explanation of these cases.''