Directory (political)
Encyclopedia
A Directorial Republic is a country ruled by a College of several people which jointly exercise the powers of Head of State
. This system of government is in contrast both with presidential republics and parliamentary republic
s. In political history, the term Directory, in French Directoire, applies to high collegial institutions of state composed of members styled director. The most important of these by far was the Directory of 1795–1799
in France
. This form of government was also established in the European regions conquered by France during the French Revolutionary Wars
.
In modern times, the sole country using this form of government is Switzerland
, where directories rule all levels of administration, federal, cantonal and municipal. The Swiss Federal Council
is elected by the Parliament for four years (members can't be dismissed); direct popular elections are used at local level. In past, Uruguay
, Yugoslavia
(after Tito
's death), Ukraine
, and other countries were ruled by directories. The government of the Soviet Union
could in some ways be characterized as a directory, but developed in a much different pattern discussed in the article on Communist state
s.
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...
. This system of government is in contrast both with presidential republics and parliamentary republic
Parliamentary republic
A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a type of republic which operates under a parliamentary system of government - meaning a system with no clear-cut separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. There are a number of variations of...
s. In political history, the term Directory, in French Directoire, applies to high collegial institutions of state composed of members styled director. The most important of these by far was the Directory of 1795–1799
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. This form of government was also established in the European regions conquered by France during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
.
In modern times, the sole country using this form of government is Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where directories rule all levels of administration, federal, cantonal and municipal. The Swiss Federal Council
Swiss Federal Council
The Federal Council is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the Swiss collective head of state....
is elected by the Parliament for four years (members can't be dismissed); direct popular elections are used at local level. In past, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
(after Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's death), Ukraine
Directorate of Ukraine
The Directorate, or Directory was a provisional revolutionary state committee of the Ukrainian National Republic, formed in 1918 by the Ukrainian National Union in rebellion against Skoropadsky's regime....
, and other countries were ruled by directories. The government of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
could in some ways be characterized as a directory, but developed in a much different pattern discussed in the article on Communist state
Communist state
A communist state is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party rule of a communist party and a professed allegiance to a Leninist or Marxist-Leninist communist ideology as the guiding principle of the state...
s.