Authors: Bobbio, Matteucci, Pasquino
Summary: This short entry defines executive power and executive action. In a broad sense, these terms refer to the activities of the government, as opposed to legislative power and legislative action, which refer to the activities of the legislature; and judicial power and action, which refer to the actions of the judiciary.
In republics and parliamentary monarchies the executive is elected by the legislature or parliament. In presidential republics, by contrast, the executive, who is both head of state and premier, is directly elected by the people. France's Fifth Republic is a special case: premier and head of state are two different persons, and only the latter is directly elected.