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Figurehead

Person with high office or title but no actual power

Person with high office or title but no actual power

In politics, a figurehead is a practice of who de jure (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet de facto (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. The metaphor derives from the carved figurehead at the prow of a sailing ship.

Examples

Heads of state in most constitutional monarchies and parliamentary republics are often considered to be figureheads. Commonly cited ones include the monarch of the United Kingdom, who is also head of state of the other Commonwealth realms and head of the Commonwealth, but has no power over the nations in which the sovereign is not head of government and does not exercise power in the realms on their own initiative.

In one-party communist states, the role of the head of state is also a de jure figurehead with few legally defined powers, although in many cases the position has simultaneously been mostly held by the party general secretary, who is the de facto leader. During Deng Xiaoping's leadership, the presidency of the People's Republic of China was held by two figureheads, Li Xiannian and Yang Shangkun. Since 1993, the position has also been held by the CCP General Secretary. Hua Guofeng, despite holding the posts of Premier of the People's Republic, Chairman of the Communist Party, and Supreme Commander of the Military, was widely regarded as a figurehead after 1978 when he was politically outmaneuvered by Deng Xiaoping.

References

References

  1. "Definition of FIGUREHEAD".
  2. Bowman, John. (October 4, 2002). "Constitutional monarchies". [[CBC News]].
  3. Stinson, Jeffrey. (May 3, 2006). "On queen's 80th, Britons ask: Is monarchy licked?". [[USA Today]].
  4. (10 March 2018). "Ending Term Limits for China's Xi Is a Big Deal. Here's Why. - Is the presidency powerful in China?". [[The New York Times]].
  5. "A simple guide to the Chinese government". [[South China Morning Post]].
  6. (10 November 2010). "The Nuclear Express: A Political History of the Bomb and Its Proliferation". Zenith Press.
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