Executive (government)

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(July 2009) This article is part of the Politics series Politics List of political topics Politics by country Politics by subdivision Political economy Political history Political history of the world Political philosophy Political science Political system Federacy Feudalism Monarchy Parliamentary Presidential Semi-presidential Capitalist Communist Anarchist Mixed economy City-state Dictatorship Directorial International relations (theory) Political scientists Comparative politics Public administration Bureaucracy Street-level bureaucracy Adhocracy Public policy (Legal doctrine) Public interest Separation of powers Legislature Executive Judiciary Electoral branch Sovereignty Theories of political behavior Subseries Elections Electoral systems Voting Federalism Form of government Ideology Political campaigning Political parties Politics portal v · d · e Executive branch of government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy.1 The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the democratic idea of the separation of powers.2 In many countries, the term "government" connotes only the executive branch. However, this branch fails to differentiate between despotic and democratic forms of government. In authoritarian systems, such as a dictatorship or absolute monarchy, where the different powers of government are assumed by one person, the executive branch ceases to exist since there is no other branch with which to share separate but equal governmental powers. The separation of powers system is designed to distribute authority away from the executive branch—an attempt to preserve individual liberty in response to tyrannical leadership throughout history.3 The executive officer is not supposed to make laws (the role of the legislature), or interpret them (the role of the judiciary). The role of the executive is to enforce the law as written by the legislature and interpreted by the judicial system. Responsibility The roles that the top leadership of the executive branch may fulfill include: head of government—running the functions of the state, managing the bureaucracy, and deciding how to enforce the law foreign minister—overseeing state's ambassadors and determining foreign policy commander in chief—commanding the state's armed forces and determining military policy The organizational structure of the executive branch will determine the relationship between the heads of state and government respectively. The Executive Branch also carries out the laws. In a presidential system (e.g. United States of America) the leader of the executive branch is at once the head of state and head of government. In a parliamentary system, the chief executive (usually called prime minister) is the head of government, while the function of head of state is assumed by a largely ceremonial monarch or as the president. See also Constitution Constitutional economics Democracy Legal reform Rule according to higher law Separation of powers Notes ^ Executive Branch, www.dictionary.reference.com ^ ... central to the democratic idea of Separation of Powers, www.reference.com ^ ... an attempt to preserve individual liberty, The Federalist Papers #51 v · d · eCivil Service in the Executive Branch of Government Concepts Government agency · Bureaucracy · Bureaucrat · Public administration · Public services · Public policy · Public sector Terminology Undersecretary · Commissioner · Diplomatic service International civil services Australia · Bangladesh · Brazil · Canada · China · European Union · France · Germany (Beamter) · Hong Kong · India · Ireland · Italy · Japan · Malaysia · New Zealand · Nigeria · Northern Ireland · Pakistan · Singapore · Sri Lanka · United Kingdom · United States Categories National civil service commissions · Government occupations · Civil service by country See also: Civil service reform in developing countries · Imperial examination (Ancient China) v · d · eLaw Core subjects Administrative law · Constitutional law · Contract · Criminal law · Evidence · Law of obligations · Property law · Public international law · Public law · Restitution · Tort · Trust law Other subjects Admiralty law · Aviation law · Banking law · Bankruptcy · Commercial law · Competition law · Conflict of laws · Consumer protection · Corporate law · Energy law · Entertainment law · Environmental law · Family law · Human rights · Immigration law · Intellectual property · International criminal law · Labour law · Military law · Music law · Procedure (Civil · Criminal) · Product liability · Space law · Sports law · Tax law · Unjust enrichment · Wills Legal systems Canon law · Civil law · Common law · Comparative law · Halakha · Roman law · Sharia · Socialist law · Statutory law · Xeer Legal theory Critical legal studies · Economic analysis · History · International legal theory · Philosophy · Sociology Legal institutions Bureaucracy · Civil society · Election management body · Executive · Judiciary · Legal profession · Legislature · Military · Police Category · Portal