The Role of the Head of State

In general the Heads of State in modern nations fall into two main camps, with some minor variations in practical application, ranging from absolute Monarchs to constitutional Monarchs, from Presidents wielding political power to figurehead Presidents, with a third grouping made up of Dictators. The actual position of head of state requires an appraisal as to what form the position of Head of State should take in a modern evolving society. To arrive at a conclusion it is incumbent to examine its evolution. Modern societies have evolved in the main from earlier societies predominantly administered absolutely by a spiritual leadership or a secular leader and the role of Head of State has evolved largely as a result of placating the wishes of the population in order to retain political power. It is as well to realize that society is continuing to evolve and our particular society has probably not achieved the ultimate form of Head of State now necessary in the 21st century. Earlier societies where the leader was the creator and arbiter of society are long gone and political and social divisions evolving over the last centuries have by degrees recognised the position of the populace in society. Absolute leadership of earlier times is no longer a possibility or even an option in the more complex societies of our particular period. To return to an appraisal as to what form the position of Head of State should now take raises many questions in two main areas; “What are the needs of the citizens of a nation in their Head of State, and what are the duties of a Head of State in the context of the international community”? As far as the citizenship is concerned the Head of State can be viewed as the personification and embodiment of the heritage and culture of the nation. The Head of State, as a figurehead for the nation, is viewed as a unifying force in the common cause of the nation by the citizenship regardless of the political divisions inherent in any community; as such a Head of State overrides the political divisions in society and provides a link with the custom of the nation. While for the wider representation of the nation a Head of State is required to receive and make state visits, “sign off” new legislation, and generally to represent the pinnacle of the executive administration of the nation. Given that the leader of a political party is in effect the political leader of a segment of the population and by definition is seeking to modify the status quo of the nation possibly along partisan grounds, is the holder of such a position also automatically a suitable custodian of the constitution and culture of the nation as Head of State? The divisive risk for the stability of the nation is for the culture of the state to oscillate between unsustainable political extremes. Periods of hedonism are invariably followed by Puritanism, militarism by pacifism, cultural cycles that are often with a generational timescale as opposed to a shorter political timescale; the evolution of a nations culture is not necessarily in synchronisation with its political evolution and aspects of current culture may well be rescinded sometime in the future to be reinstated again further into the future. National heritage and culture endures, as exemplified by the upheavals of the politically driven cultural changes that were imposed during the 20th century only to be overwhelmingly overturned by succeeding generations. To contain the volatility of such drastic reformation a case can be made for a national consultative panel charged with maintaining the national identity of the nation divorced from the transient policies of the political leadership of what are effectively ephemeral political administrations; a national body headed by the incumbent Head of State, with two permanent members representing the two wings of the political spectrum for balance and supervising the evolving culture of the nation by having a veto over contentious legislation, dissolving and managing the transfer of the political administration of the nation and overseeing the actual succession of the Head of State. A Head of State not directly elected by the electorate however is anathema to some, however examining present practice in many political systems where the electorate are granted a vote to select their political leader, that person has already been selected at some point and most likely behind closed doors by a selection board before being presented to the public. Not necessarily a valid choice for the public to make an informed selection of a Head of State; though at present such a practice is accepted for the selection of the political leadership of the nation. Actual election of a Head of State is not seemingly an issue if the actual political management of the nation is with the consent and acquiescence of the populace, albeit with a leader selected by a caucus or cadre sitting “in camera”. Equally with a stable society and the means to transfer political administration within the political system the question of the longevity of holding the position of Head of State would not be an issue as monarchical and republican nations would equally be able to address the political needs of the populace in the administration of the nation. Our cultures and civilisations are not the ultimate civilisations on this planet and there is no reason to assume that our present cultures will endure indefinitely; however present practices may well be obsolete and at this juncture national unrest is exacerbated by the political machinations and objectives which are at odds with the established though evolving national culture. Such division may be mollified by a more permanent body representing the totality of the cultural fabric of the society focussed on the Head of State. Control and management of an evolving culture by a committee of national identity is more likely to engender national stability and avoid the freezing in time of national constitutions which, while acceptable at the time of their introduction are by their very nature unable to adapt to changing circumstances.