Titular head
Encyclopedia
A titular ruler, or titular head, is a person in an official position of leadership who possesses few, if any, actual powers. Sometimes a person may inhabit a position of titular leadership and yet exercise more power than would normally be expected, as a result of their personality
or experience. A titular ruler is not confined to political leadership but can also reference any organization, such as a corporation
.
suffix -ar, which means "of or belonging to."
today, the Head of State
has either evolved into, or was created as, a position of titular leadership. In the former case, the leader may often have significant powers listed within the state's constitution
, but is no longer able to exercise them, due to historical changes within that country. In the latter case, it is often made clear within the document that the leader is intended to be powerless. Heads of State who inhabit positions of titular leadership are usually regarded as symbols of the people they "lead."
. This means that an institution, object, location, artefact, etc, takes its name or title from the particular person. So, for example, Simon Bolivar
is not the titular of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, but its eponym.
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
or experience. A titular ruler is not confined to political leadership but can also reference any organization, such as a corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
.
Etymology
Titular is formed from a combination of the Latin titulus (title) and the EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
suffix -ar, which means "of or belonging to."
Development
In most parliamentary democraciesParliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
today, the Head of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
has either evolved into, or was created as, a position of titular leadership. In the former case, the leader may often have significant powers listed within the state's constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, but is no longer able to exercise them, due to historical changes within that country. In the latter case, it is often made clear within the document that the leader is intended to be powerless. Heads of State who inhabit positions of titular leadership are usually regarded as symbols of the people they "lead."
Examples
- The democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
of the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
under the Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United KingdomThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
who executes most official powers, but the British monarchMonarchy of the United KingdomThe monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
possesses relatively broad powers, or Royal Prerogatives, which include the power to declare war, make peace, negotiate treaties, and many more. Neither the Prime Minister, nor Parliament, can exercise these powers. They can, and do, advise the sovereign these matters but the monarch must exercise her Royal Prerogative to carry out their will. No sovereign has acted against the advice of Parliament or withheld Royal AssentRoyal AssentThe granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on an act since Queen Anne in 1708Scottish Militia Bill 1708The Scottish Militia Bill is the usual name given to a bill that was passed by the House of Commons and House of Lords of the Parliament of Great Britain in spring 1708, but vetoed by Queen Anne on the advice of her ministers on 11 March 1708 for fear that the proposed militia created would be...
. Should a sovereign do so in modern times it could cause a constitutional crisisConstitutional crisisA constitutional crisis is a situation that the legal system's constitution or other basic principles of operation appear unable to resolve; it often results in a breakdown in the orderly operation of government...
, a theory that is itself ambiguous since the United Kingdom does not have a formal constitution.
- Emperor Hirohito of JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
remained as a titular ruler after the Japanese surrender in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
- The Presidents of both IsraelPresident of IsraelThe President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007...
and the Federal Republic of GermanyPresident of GermanyThe President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
have largely ceremonial duties and are regarded as titular leaders.
Not to be confused with
A common confusion is with the word and concept eponymEponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
. This means that an institution, object, location, artefact, etc, takes its name or title from the particular person. So, for example, Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
is not the titular of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, but its eponym.