Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a governor may be either appointed or elected, and the governor's powers can vary significantly, depending on the public laws in place locally. The adjective pertaining to a governor is gubernatorial, from the Latin root gubernare. In a federated state, the governor may serve as head of state and head of government for their regional polity, while still operating under the laws of the federation, which has its own head of state for the entire federation.
Ancient empires
Pre-Roman empires
Though the legal and administrative framework of provinces, each administered by a governor, was created by the Romans, the term governor has been a convenient term for historians to describe similar systems in antiquity. Indeed, many regions of the pre-Roman antiquity were ultimately replaced by Roman 'standardized' provincial governments after their conquest by Rome. Plato used the metaphor of turning the Ship of State with a rudder; the Latin word for rudder is gubernaculum.Ancient Egypt
In Pharaonic times, the governors of each of the various provinces in the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt are usually known by the Greek word "nomarch," which was later used by historians. Similarly, the term "Haty-a" was referenced in inscriptions found in tombs, including those of Ankhtifi and Djefaihapi. The Early Dynastic Period saw the establishment of the institution of nomarchs, who were first appointed by the pharaoh to guarantee allegiance, but by the late Old Kingdom, these positions had become hereditary, promoting regional autonomy that grew during the First Intermediate Period and weakened central authority.Pre- and Hellenistic satraps
- Media and Achaemenid Persia introduced the satrapy, probably inspired by the Assyrian / Babylonian examples
- Alexander the Great and equally Hellenistic diadoch kingdoms, mainly Seleucids and Lagids
- in later Persia, again under Iranian dynasties:
- * Parthia
- * the Sassanid dynasty dispensed with the office after Shapur I, replacing them with petty vassal rulers, known as shahdars
Ancient Rome
Under the Republic and the early Empire, however, a governor also commanded military forces in his province. Republican governors were all men who had served in senior magistracies in Rome in the previous year, and carried related titles as governor. The first emperor, Octavianus Augustus, divided the provinces into two categories; the traditionally prestigious governorships remained as before, while in a range of others, he retained the formal governorship himself, delegating the actual task of administration to appointees. The legatus sometimes would appoint a prefect, usually a man of equestrian rank, to act as his deputy in a subregion of the larger province: the infamous character of Pontius Pilate in the Christian Gospels was a governor of this sort.
A special case was Egypt, a rich 'private' domain and vital granary, where the emperor almost inherited the theocratic status of a pharaoh. The emperor was represented there by a governor sui generis styled praefectus augustalis, a title evoking the religious cult of the emperor.
Emperors Diocletian and Constantine in the third and fourth centuries AD carried out a root and branch reorganisation of the administration with two main features:
- Provinces were divided up and became much more numerous ; they were then grouped into dioceses, and the dioceses in turn into four praetorian prefectures ;
- Military responsibilities were removed from governors and given to new officials called comes rei militaris or dux, later also magister militum.
Byzantium
This system survived with few significant changes until the collapse of the empire in the West, and in the East, the breakdown of order with the Persian and Arab invasions of the seventh century. At that stage, a new kind of governor emerged, the Strategos. It was a role leading the themes which replaced provinces at this point, involving a return to the amalgamation of civil and military office which had been the practice under the Republic and the early Empire.Legacy
While the Roman administration in the West was largely destroyed in the barbarian invasions, its model was remembered; this model became very influential through two particular vehicles: Roman law and the Christian Church.Holy Roman/Habsburg Empires and successor states
- Reichskommissar
Turkish rule
British Empire and Commonwealth realms
In the British Empire, a governor was originally an official appointed by the British monarch to oversee a crown colony and was the head of the colonial administration. The governors' powers varied from colony to colony, depending on its constitutional setup; while all colonies had a separate court system, the governor only had legislative power in colonies that lacked a Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly. The executive powers vested in the governor varied as well; while many colonies had an Executive Council to help with the colony's administration, these ranged from presidential cabinet-like bodies that only served as consultative forums without collective executive powers or functions of their own while the governor had an independent decision-making capacity, to fully fledged parliamentary ministries whose decisions the governor was required to formally execute.Today, crown colonies of the United Kingdom continue to be administered by governors who hold varying degrees of power. Because of the different constitutional histories of the former colonies of the United Kingdom, the term governor now refers to officials with differing amounts of power.
Administrators, commissioners and high commissioners exercise similar powers to governors..
Frequently the name 'Government House' is given to governors' residences.
Vice-regal governors
United Kingdom overseas territories
In the United Kingdom's remaining overseas territories, the governor is normally a direct appointee of the British government and plays an active role in governing and lawmaking. The governor's chief responsibility is for the defence and external affairs of the colony.In some minor overseas territories, instead of a governor, there is an administrator or commissioner, or the position is held ex officio by a High Commissioner.
Australia
In Australia, each state has the governor as its formal representative of the sovereign, as head of the state government. It is not a political office but a ceremonial one. Each state governor is appointed by the Australian monarch on the advice of the premier, who is the political chief executive of the state government. State governors have emergency reserve powers but these are rarely used. The territories of Australia other than the ACT have administrators instead of governors, who are appointed formally by the governor-general. The governor-general is the representative of and appointed by the king of Australia sovereign at a federal level on the advice of the prime minister of Australia.As with the governors-general of Australia and other Commonwealth realms, state governors usually exercise their power only on the advice of a government minister.
Canada
In Canada, there are governors at the federal and provincial levels of government who, within their jurisdictions, act as representatives of the king of Canada, who is Canada's head of state. The federal governor is the governor general of Canada, and the governor of each province is the lieutenant governor. The governor general is appointed by the sovereign on the advice of the prime minister of Canada, whereas the lieutenant governors are appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. The role of the governor general and of the lieutenant governors in Canada is largely ceremonial, although they do retain the authority to exercise reserve powers in exceptional circumstances.Each of the three territories is headed by a commissioner appointed by the federal Cabinet. Unlike provincial lieutenant governors, they are not representatives of the sovereign but rather are representatives of the federal government.
British Hong Kong (1841–1997)
In the colonial period of Hong Kong, the governor was the representative of the sovereign from 1843, which was the year that the authorities and duties of the post were officially defined by the Hong Kong Letters Patent and the Royal Instructions, until the handover of Hong Kong to the PRC government in 1997. Each governor was appointed by the monarch and possessed significant powers such as the power of appointing lawmakers in the legislative council, the power to grant land, the power of veto over bills and motions, the power of pardon, etc. At the same time, the governor was also the head of the colonial cabinet, the chairman of the Executive Council, the president of the Legislative Council, as well as the commander-in-chief of the British Forces in Hong Kong.New Zealand
The governor-general of New Zealand is always the governor of the Ross Dependency, an Antarctic sector which is claimed by the Realm of New Zealand.Within the United Kingdom
Within the United Kingdom itself, there was a position of Governor of Northern Ireland from 1922 until the suspension of the devolved Parliament of Northern Ireland in 1973.Within England
From the 16th century until 1995, there was a governor of the Isle of Wight, part of England. Since the reign of Henry VIII, the monarch has borne the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England.Other colonial empires
European powers other than the United Kingdom, with colonies in Asia, Africa and elsewhere, gave their top representatives in their colonies the title of governor. Those representatives could be from chartered companies that ruled the colonies. In some of these colonies, there are still officials called governors.See:
- Danish colonial empire
- Dutch Empire
- Empire of Japan
- French colonial empire
- German colonial empire
- Italian Empire
- Portuguese Empire
- Spanish Empire
- Swedish overseas colonies
Russia and former Soviet Union
A special case was the Chinese Eastern Railway Zone, which was governed as a concession granted by Imperial China to the Russian 'Chinese Eastern Railway Society', which built 1,481 km of tracks and established on 16 May 1898 the new capital city, Harbin; in August 1898, the defense for Chinese Eastern Railway across northeast China was assumed by Russia.
On July 1, 1903, the Chinese Eastern Railway was opened and given authority of its own CER Administration, vested in the Directors of the Chinese Eastern Railway, with the additional quality of Governors of the Chinese Eastern Railway Zone. The post continued to function despite various political changes until after World War II.
Some of the administrative subdivisions of Russia are headed by governors, while others are headed by presidents or heads of administration. From 1991 to 2005, they were elected by popular vote and from 2005 to 2012, they were appointed by the federal president and confirmed by the province's legislature. After the debate, conducted by State Duma in April 2012, the direct elections of governors were expected to be restored.
Other European countries and empires
Austria
A Landeshauptmann is an official title in German for certain political offices equivalent to a governor. It has historical uses, both administrative and colonial, and is now used in federal Austria and in South Tyrol, a majority German-speaking province of Italy adjacent to Tyrol.Benelux monarchies
- In the Netherlands, the government-appointed heads of the provinces were known as Gouverneur from 1814 until 1850, when their title was changed to King's ''Commissioner. In the southern province of Limburg, however, the commissioner is still informally called Governor''.
- In the Dutch crown's Caribbean Overseas territories, the style governor is still used, alongside the political head of government.
- In Belgium, each of the ten provinces has a governor, appointed by the regional government. He represents not only the regional but also the federal government in the province. He controls the local governments and is responsible for law and order, security and emergency action. The national capital of Brussels, which is not part of a province, also has a governor with nearly the same competencies.
France
Germany
Until 1933, the term Landeshauptmann was used in Prussia for the head of government of a province, In the modern-day states of Germany, the counterpart to Landeshauptmann is the Ministerpräsident. In the present German states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia there are – and earlier in more German states there were – sub-state administrative regions called in, which is sometimes translated into English as governorate. Thus its respective head, in, is also translated as governor.Greece
was the first List of [heads of state of Greece|head of state of Greece] to bear the title of governor.Italy
- The essentially maritime empire of the Venetian republic, comprising Terra Firma, other Adriatic and further Mediterranean possessions, used different styles, such as provveditore or baile.
- In the fascist regime there was the governor of the colonies of the Italian colonial empire.
- In today's Italy, the official name of a head of a Regione is Presidente della Giunta regionale. Since 2000, when a constitutional reform decided the direct election of the president by the people, out of perceived analogy with the US equivalent, there has been a practice among journalists to call the official governatore/governatrice, although other people would normally prefer to use presidente/presidentessa della Regione informally.
- In the various Italian provinces that became amalgamated as the Papal States, the Holy See exerted temporal power via its legates and delegates, including some cardinals
- Also in Avignon and the surrounding southern French Comtat Venaissin, the home of the popes during their 'Babylonian exile', and retained centuries after, but never incorporated into the Papal States, legates and vice-legates were appointed.
- The sovereign modern remnant of the formerly large Papal States, the tiny Vatican City State, is now a mere enclave in Rome, the capital of Italian Republic. As it is too small to have further administrative-territorial divisions, it is the equivalent of a prime minister, governor and mayor all rolled into one post, styled the Governor of Vatican City.
Other modern Asian countries
China
In the People's Republic of China, the title Governor refers to the highest ranking executive of a provincial government. The governor is usually placed second in the provincial power hierarchy, below the secretary of the provincial Chinese Communist Party committee, who serves as the highest ranking party official in the province. Governors are elected by the provincial congresses and approved by the provincial party chief. All governors are not locals in the provinces which they govern.The title can be also used while referring to a county governor.
India
In India, each state has a ceremonial governor appointed by the president of India. These governors are different from the governors who controlled the British-controlled portions of the Indian Empire prior to 1947.A governor is the head of a state in India. Generally, a governor is appointed for each state, but after the 7th Constitutional Amendment, of 1956, one governor can be appointed for more than one state.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, the title gubernur refers to the highest-ranking executive of a provincial government. The governor and the vice governor are elected by a direct vote from the people as a couple candidate, so the governor is responsible to the provincial residents. The governor has a term of five years to work in office and can be re-elected for another single period. In case of death, disability, or resignation, the vice governor would stand in as acting governor for some time before being inaugurated as the permanent governor.The elected governor is inaugurated by the president, or by the Indonesian minister of home affairs on behalf of the president. In addition, the governor is the representative of the central government in the province and is responsible to the president. The governor's authority is regulated within Law No. 32/2004 and Governmental Ordinance No. 19/2010.
Principally, the governor has the tasks and the authorities to lead governmental services in the province, based upon the policies that have been made together with the provincial parliament. The governor is not the superordinate of regents or mayors, but only guides supervises, and coordinates the works of city/municipal and regency governments. In other parts, municipal and regency governments have the right to manage each governance affairs based on the autonomy principle and assistantship duties.
Japan
In Japan, the title Governor refers to the highest ranking executive of a prefectural government. The governor was elected by a direct vote from the people and had a fixed term of four years. There is no restriction on the number of terms a person may serve as governor. The governor holds considerable power within the prefecture, including the ability to veto ordinances that have been passed by the prefecture assembly, as well as control of the prefecture's budget and the power to dissolve the prefecture assembly. The governor can be subjected to a recall referendum. A total of one to four vice governors are appointed by the governor with the approval of the assembly. In the case of the governor's death, disability, or resignation, a vice governor would stand in as governor or acting governor.See List of governors of Japan for a list of the current governors.
Malaysia
In Malaysia, each of the four non-monarchical states has a ceremonial governor styled Yang di-Pertua Negeri, appointed to a renewable four-year term by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the federal King of Malaysia, on the advice of the Minister of Malaysia|prime minister] after consulting the state governments. Each of these states has a separate head of government called the Ketua Menteri or chief minister. The four Yang di-Pertua Negeri are members of the Conference of Rulers; however, they cannot participate in the election of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, discussions related to the privileges of the Malay rulers and matters concerning the observance of Islam.Pakistan
In Pakistan, each of the four provinces has a governor who is appointed by the president. The governor is the representative of the federal in their province and is the ceremonial head of the province whereas the chief minister is the head of the provincial government. The governor exercises powers similar to the president's, in their respective province.Papua New Guinea
In Papua New Guinea, the leaders of the provinces have been known as governors since August 1995. Previously they were called premiers.Philippines
In the Philippines, the title Governor refers to the highest-ranking executive of a province. The governor is elected by a direct vote from the people and has a fixed term of three years. A governor can serve only up to a maximum of three consecutive terms. He may however be suspended by either the ombudsman or the president, through the secretary of the interior and local government. He may be removed by the president if found guilty of an administrative case or a criminal act during his tenure. He may be subjected to a recall vote, but unlike a referendum, the voters elect the governor of their choice. In case of death, disability, resignation, forced removal, or suspension, the vice governor, elected separately in the same election for governor, succeeds as governor, or acting governor, as the case may be.During both the Spanish and American colonial periods, as well as during the Japanese occupation of World War II, the chief executive of the Philippines was the governor-general of the Philippines.
The highest ranking executive of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was called regional governor. The regional governor is elected every three years, separately from a regional vice governor who replaces the regional governor if the latter vacates the position. Bangsamoro, its replacement, has the wa'lī as its head of the region and is elected by parliament for a six-year term.
Sri Lanka
The provincial councils of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka are headed by governors, as representatives of the president. Prior to 1948, in Ceylon, the governor of Ceylon was the head of the British colony.Thailand
In Thailand, the title Governor refers to the administrator of each Thai province, who is appointed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The only exception is the specially governed district of Bangkok, whose governor is elected by its population.Other modern countries in North America
United States
In the United States, the title "Governor" refers to the head of each state or insular territory. Governors retain sovereign power over executive and judiciary, are subordinate to the president of the United States and laws provided by the enumerated powers section of the federal constitution, and serve as the political and ceremonial head of the state. Nearly three-fourths of the states hold gubernatorial elections in the same years as midterm elections. Eleven states hold them in the same years as presidential elections, while the remaining five hold them in odd-numbered years.In colonial North America, governors were chosen in a variety of ways, depending on how the colony was organized. In the crown colonies of Great Britain, France, and Spain, the governor was chosen by the ruling monarch of the colonizing power or his designees; in British colonies, the Board of Trade was often the primary decision maker. Colonies based on a corporate charter, such as the Connecticut Colony and the Massachusetts Bay Colony, elected their own governors based on rules spelt out in the charter or other colonial legislation. In proprietary colonies, such as the Province of Carolina before it became a crown colony, governors were chosen by the Lords Proprietor who controlled the colony. In the early years of the American Revolutionary War, eleven of the Thirteen Colonies evicted royal and proprietary governors. The other two colonies had corporate charters; Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull was governor before and during the war period, while in Rhode Island, Governor Joseph Wanton was removed from office in 1775 for failing to support the rebel war effort.
Before achieving statehood, many of the fifty states were territories. Administered by the federal government, they had governors who were appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate rather than elected by the resident population.
Mexico
In Mexico, governor refers to the elected leader of each of the nation's thirty-one Free and Sovereign States with the official Spanish title being Gobernador. Mexican governors are directly elected by the citizens of each state for a six-year term and cannot be re-elected.Other modern countries in South America
Many of the South American republics have provinces or states run by elected governors, with offices similar in nature to U.S. state governors.Brazil
Until the 1930 Revolution, the heads of the Brazilian Provinces, now called States, were styled as presidents. From 1930 to 1945, they were styled either governors or, when appointed by the federal government, intervenors. From 1945 on, they have only been called governors.Modern equivalents
As a generic term, governor is used for various 'equivalent' politician who are the head of a state or province, rendering other official titles such as:This also applies to non-western or antique culture