Prime Minister

A prime minister may be either:

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• chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or
• the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of the President.

In parliamentary systems like the Westminster system, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of head of state is largely ceremonial. In some monarchies the prime minister exercises powers (known as the Royal Prerogative) which are constitutionally vested in the Crown and can be exercised without the approval of parliament. As well as being Head of Government, a prime minister may have other roles or titles—the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for example, is also First Lord of the Treasury. Prime ministers may take other ministerial posts—for example during the Second World War Winston Churchill was also Minister of Defence.

Related Topics:
Westminster system - Head of the government - Head of state - Monarchies - Royal Prerogative - First Lord of the Treasury - Second World War - Winston Churchill - Minister of Defence

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Prime Minister: Prime ministers in republics and in monarchies ►