Head of government

The heads of government of five members of the Commonwealth of Nations at the 1944 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference.

The head of government is the leader of the executive branch of a nation's government. This is not always the same person as the head of state. Official titles for heads of government include Premier or Prime Minister.

For example, in the United States, the president is both the head of state and the head of government. In the Republic of Ireland the president is the head of state but the Taoiseach is the head of government. In most modern monarchies the king (or queen) is the head of state but not the head of government, as is the case of Japan and the UK, for example.

The head of state of some countries has no power over law and justice, for example, the Bundespresident of Germany.