The Executive

In political science and constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the state. The executive branch acts by and with the advice and consent of the legislative made by the legislature and thus is subject to the legislative branch.

Political executives are government officials who include heads of state and government leaders-presidents, prime-ministers, premiers, chancellors, and other chief executives, and many secondary figures, such as cabinet members, ministers, councilors.

The executive is identified by the head of government. In a presidential system, this person (the President) may also be the Head of State, whereas in a parliamentary system he or she is usually the leader of the largest party in the legislature and is most commonly termed the Prime Minister (Taoiseach in the Republic of Ireland, Chancellor in Germany and Austria). In France, executive power is shared between the president and the prime minister and this system has been reproduced in a number of former French colonies, while Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina have collegiate systems for the role of head of state and government. The head of government is assisted by a number of ministers, who usually have responsibilities for particular areas (e.g. health, education, foreign affairs), and by a large number of government employees or civil servants.

The crucial element in the organization of a national executive is the role assigned to the chief executive. In parliamentary systems, such as in Great Britain, the prime minister is the national political leader, but another figure, a monarch or elected president, serves as the head of state. In mixed presidential-parliamentary systems, such as that established in France under the constitution of 1958, the president serves as head of state but also wields important political powers, including the appointment of a prime minister and Cabinet to serve as the government.

In nearly all political systems the 20th century has seen an alarming increase in the powers of chief executives. The office of the presidency in the United States, like the office of prime minister in Britain, has greatly enlarged the scope of its authority. The executive is often delegated some legislative power, mainly the power to issue regulations or executive orders which complete a piece of legislation with technical details or points which might change frequently (e.g. fees for government services). The executive may also have powers to issue legislation during a state of emergency.

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