Presidents & Heads of States
President, in government, the officer in whom the chief executive power of a nation is vested. The president of a republic is the head of state, but the actual power of the president varies from country to country; in the United States, Africa, and Latin America the presidential office is charged with great powers and responsibilities, but the office is relatively weak and largely ceremonial in Europe and in many countries where the prime minister, or premier, functions as the chief executive officer.
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First Ladies
“First lady” is the title for the wife of the president of the United States. Although the first lady’s role has never been codified or officially defined, she figures prominently in the political and social life of the nation. Some first ladies have used their influence to affect legislation on important matters such as temperance reform, housing improvement, and women’s rights. Since 1789, especially, the role of first lady has changed considerably. Although still dependent on individual personalities, it has come to include involvement in political campaigns, management of the White House, championship of social causes, and representation of the president at official and ceremonial occasions.
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Prime Ministers
Prime minister, also called premier, the head of government in a country with a parliamentary or semipresidential political system. In such systems, the prime minister?literally the “first,” or most important, minister?must be able to command a continuous majority in the legislature (usually the lower house in a bicameral system) to remain in office.
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Kings
A king is a supreme ruler, sovereign over a nation or a territory, of higher rank than any other secular ruler except an emperor, to whom a king may be subject.
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Emperors & Empresses
Emperor" is a title designating the sovereigns of the ancient Roman Empire and, by derivation, various later European rulers; it is also applied loosely to certain non-European monarchs.
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Sultans
sultan" was originally used to denote moral or spiritual authority, but it later came to denote political or governmental power and from the 11th century was used as a title by Muslim sovereigns.
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Pharaohs
Pharaohs were the kings of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians believed their pharaoh to be the mediator between the gods and the world of men. After death the pharaoh became divine and passed on his sacred powers and position to the new pharaoh, his son. The pharaoh’s will was supreme, and he governed by royal decree.
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Dictators
A dictatorship is a form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. The term dictatorship comes from the Latin title dictator, which in the Roman Republic designated a temporary magistrate who was granted extraordinary powers in order to deal with state crises.
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Governors
This general category includes a selection of more specific topics.
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Senators
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Other Politicians
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