Heads of Government vs. Heads of State: The Subtle Differences

On the rare occasions when women are in a position of governmental authority, they are usually placed in a position that is subservient to a higher governmental figure. If a woman is in a national leadership role such as Prime Minister or President, there is often a male figure who possesses more actual or symbolic authority that actually pulls the strings of government. For this reason, it is important to know who is actually holding power in any given government. I will attempt to explain how to distinguish that in this article. 

For many people, especially people that have been raised in a Presidential Republic such as the United States, the notions and differences between Heads of State and Heads of Government may seem vague. I will attempt to alleviate any confusion about the subtle nuances between the two titles/positions below. 

Heads of Government

As the name implies, a Head of Government is an individual, usually elected or appointed, who is charged with the duty of running the day-to-day affairs of a nation, region, state, or province’s government. This usually entails directing government policy, appointing ministers and (sometimes) other public officials like judges or the heads of various bureaucratic agencies, and the leadership of the largest party in a nation’s Parliament or Congress. Heads of Government are usually – although certainly not necessarily – the most powerful political/governmental figure in a particular region or nation. Because of this, there is a smaller proportion of women whom have served in this role than have in other government roles.

Some example of Heads of Government include the British, Canadian, and French Prime Ministers, The Chancellor of Germany, and the United States President. Heads of Government are usually, although not exclusively, called a Prime Minister. 

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was the Head of Government of the United Kingdom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heads of State

Heads of State, however, are usually (once again, I stress the word “usually.” There are some exceptions to this, notably France and the United States) individuals, either elected or appointed, who serve the largely ceremonial role of representing the nation. In many nations, the Head of State is considered as the physical embodiment of the entire nation, the personification of the state. For this reason, they are usually non-partisan figures who are highly respected, but who have little to no say in the day-to-day running of government business.

In many nations, the Head of State is constitutionally charged with opening and closing Parliament or Congress, deciding when to call an election, and approving any appointments that the Head of Government makes. In practice, however, even these meager duties are usually actually decided upon by the Head of Government for the Head of State. There are very few instances in history of Heads of State making decisions contrary to the request of the Head of Government. Thus, Heads of State usually serve largely ceremonial roles, performing duties such as greeting visiting foreign dignitaries, opening museums, and other relatively unimportant roles, although there are some exceptions to this (notably France, Russia, and the United States. In all three of these nations, the President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and is also charged with foreign affairs while the Prime Minister is in charge of domestic affairs in Russia and France but obviously not in the United States where there is no Prime Minister) where the Head of State plays an active role in government decision-making. 

Some examples of Heads of Government include the Queen of England, the King of Spain, the Emperor of Japan, the King of Thailand, the Governors-General of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, and the Presidents of Germany, France, Russia, Portugal, Israel, and the United States. 

Queen Elizabeth II, The head of state of the UK

In the United States

The United States is a special case when it comes to Heads of State and Government. In the United States, the President serves simultaneously as Head of State and Head of Government. It is primarily for this reason that many Americans find the concepts described here so confusing. 

This same form of Presidential Republic is also in place in states like Argentina, Venezuela, and South Africa. 

Hopefully it is now more clear why it is important which of these two national leadership roles women are more likely to serve in. In subsequent articles, I will examine the proportion of women in each of these roles.