Executive (government)
The executive is the part of government that carries out policy. "The executive is that body which initiates and administers policy within a state."[1] This means it makes plans and puts them into action.
Kinds of executive
Some executives are led by one person. The President of the United States is an example. Others are plural, which means a group shares the power, as with cabinet government in Britain.[1] Some countries have military executives, where the armed forces hold power.[2]
Writers often divide the executive into two parts. The political executive is made up of leaders such as prime ministers and presidents. The non-political executive is the civil service, the officials who carry out the work of government.[1] Writing in 1931, the political thinker Harold Laski made a similar point. He wrote that "The executive of a state has two aspects—the political and the departmental."[3] He added that "The political heads of a state are usually termed the cabinet."[4] He argued that officials need to stay neutral.[5]
Executive and head of state
In some countries the head of the government is also the head of state, as in the United States. In others the two jobs are separate, as in Britain and France. Laski argued that neither way is better in itself.[4] In Britain the head of state is the monarch.[6] The monarch still appoints the prime minister after a general election.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 317. ISBN 9781317243748.
- ↑ Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 329. ISBN 9781317243748.
- ↑ Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 63. ISBN 9781317586708.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 64. ISBN 9781317586708.
- ↑ Laski, Harold J. (2015) [1931]. An Introduction to Politics. Routledge. p. 66. ISBN 9781317586708.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Axford, Barrie; Browne, Victoria; Huggins, Richard; Isaacs, Rico (2018). Politics: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Routledge. p. 326. ISBN 9781317243748.