Head of government

The Prime Minister is the head of government of a state (for example, national or constituent state ). He usually uses a large part of the political direction decisions.

• In all presidential systems of government, the President combines the functions of head of state and head of government. Example is the President of the United States.
• In semi-presidential systems of government, the power is often divided between a President and the Prime Minister (Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Prime Minister, Prime Minister ). Classic examples are in France with the strong position of the president of the Fifth Republic and Russia.
• In parliamentary systems, the functions of head of state ( monarch, president ) and the head of government ( Prime Minister, Prime Minister ) are also split, with only the head of state is primarily for the representation of the state internally and externally. For example, in the United Kingdom is the Queen, the Prime Minister with respect to or in Germany the Federal President, the Chancellor, as the Austrian Federal President of the local Chancellor.
• In some countries, the function of head of state is exercised by certain parliamentary government. In such a system the parliament bound executive that person also serves as head of state. An example is the Prime Minister or the rulers, or the First Mayor of Bremen of the German states.
• But there are also countries without actual head of government. In Switzerland, the government consists of the members of the Bundesrat, which are all equal; the President takes as primus inter pares, meaning " first among equals ", only additional representative tasks. See also: Direktorialsystem

The exact internal political powers of the Government vary in all government systems and are laid down in the constitutions of the respective countries. In the field of international relations is the head of government is usually fully authorized representative of his country.