:''Most of this article is about heads of state. For more on other kinds of presidents, see
Non-Governmental Presidents, below. For more on the usage of term "president", see
President (history of the term). For the card game, see
President (game). For the Animaniacs song, see
The Presidents (song). For presidencies in colonial India during the British Raj, see
Presidencies of British India.''
'President' is a
title held by many leaders of
organizations,
companies,
trade unions,
universities, and
countries.
Etymologically, a "president" is one who , who sits in leadership (from
Latin ''prae-'' "before" + ''sedere'' "to sit"; giving the term ''
praeses''). Originally, the term referred to the presiding officer of a ceremony or meeting (i.e.
chairman); but today it most commonly refers to an official with
executive powers.
Among other things, 'president' today is a common title for the
head of state of most
republics, whether popularly
elected, chosen by the
legislature or a special
electoral college. It is also often adopted by
dictators.
Presidential symbols
As the country's head of state, in most countries the president is entitled to certain symbolic honors, as well as luxury perks that come with the office. For example, most of the world's heads of state, including presidents, have a prestigious residence; often a lavish mansion or palace, sometimes more than one (e.g. summer and winter residence, country retreat) - for a list see
Official residence.
Furthermore in some nations the Presidency enjoys certain symbols of office, such as an official uniform, decorations, a presidential seal, coat of arms, flag and other visible accessories; military honours such as
gun salutes,
Ruffles and flourishes, and a presidential guard. A common presidential symbol is the
presidential sashes worn by
Latin American presidents as a symbol of the presidency's continuity, and presenting the sash to the new president is a key part of the
inauguration ceremony.
Modern history of the designation
As an English word, the term was originally used to refer to the presiding officer of a committee or governing body in Great Britain. Later this usage was applied to political leaders, including the leaders of some of the
Thirteen Colonies; in full, the "
President of the Council"..
[1] Early examples are from the universities of
Oxford and
Cambridge (from 1464); the founding
President of the Royal Society William Brouncker in 1660; heads of individual British colonies (originally Virginia in 1608); and chief officers of banks (from 1781). It was adopted as a title for the
President of the United States of America.
As other countries followed the
American Revolution, and deposed their monarchies, ''president'' was commonly adopted as the title for the new republican heads of state. The first European president was the
president of France, a post created in the
Second Republic of 1848. (The
First Republic had begun with no separate executive, then established five
directors, and finally echoed the ancient
Roman Republic by appointing three
consuls at its head.)
Sub-national presidents
President can also be the title of the chief executive at a lower administrative level, such as the
parish presidents of the
parishes of the
U.S. state of
Louisiana, the presiding member of city council for villages in the
U.S. state of
Illinois, or the
municipal presidents of
Mexico's
municipalities. Perhaps the best known sub-national presidents are the
borough presidents of the
Five Boroughs of
New York City.
Non-governmental presidents
''President'' is also used as a title in some non-governmental organizations.
Judiciary
France
In
French legal terminology, the president of a court consisting of multiple
judges is the foremost judge; he chairs the meeting of the court and directs the debates (and this thus addressed as "Mr President", ''Monsieur le Président'', or appropriate feminine forms). In general, a court comprises several chambers, each with its own president; thus the most senior of these is called the "first president" (as in: "the First President of the
Court of Cassation is the most senior judge in France"). Similarly in English legal practice the most senior judge in each division uses this title (e.g. President of the Family Division, President of the Court of Appeal).
Scotland
The
Lord President of the Court of Session is head of the judiciary in
Scotland, and presiding judge (and Senator) of the
College of Justice and
Court of Session, as well as being Lord Justice General of Scotland and head of the
High Court of Justiciary, the offices having been combined in 1836.
Other
The head of a university or non-profit corporation, particularly in the United States of America, is often known as president. In
university systems with multiple independent campuses, the relationship between the roles of
president and
chancellor can become quite complicated. President is also a title in many corporations. In some cases the president acts as
chief operating officer under the direction of the
chief executive officer.
In British constitutional practice, the chairman of an
Executive Council, acting in such a capacity, is known as a
President of the Executive Council. Usually this person is the
Governor but is not always so.
Many other organizations, clubs, and committees, both political and non-political are led by Presidents as well. Examples can vary from the President of a
political party, to the president of a
chamber of commerce, to the President of a
students' union and even the president of a
high school chess club.
In
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the head of the church is known as the
President. Together with his two counselors, they are known as the
First Presidency. This pattern is repeated throughout the church in
quorums and in other bodies, each of which is led by a president. The
Methodist Church in the UK (and also other provinces) is led by the President of the Methodist Council, and assumes the role of leading minister and spokesperson.
== Presidential chronologies of
United Nations member countries ==
★
European Commission
★
President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
★
List of leaders of the Soviet Union#Leaders of post-Soviet independent states
Sources and additional reading
★ The powers, functions and functioning of presidents were reviewed by six international experts for Australia's
Republic Advisory Committee in 1993. Reports by among others Professor
Klaus Von Beyme (on Germany),
A.G Noorani (on India),
Jim Duffy (on Ireland) and Sir
Ellis Clarke (on Trinidad and Tobago) outline the role of various presidencies. The full report is called ''An Australian Republic: The Options - The Appendices'' (ISBN 0-644-32589-5)
See also
★
List of basic political science topics
★
CEOs of major corporations
★
Head of state
★
Governor-General
★
Mayor-President
★
Minister-President (a head of government, not of state)
★
Monarch
★
Prime minister
★
List of state leaders
★
Heads of state timeline
★
World government
★
Presidents Day
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