What is "executive council"

Council \Coun"cil\ (koun"s[i^]l), n. [F. concile, fr. L. concilium; con- + calare to call, akin to Gr. ??? to call, and E. hale, v., haul. Cf. Conciliate. This word is often confounded with counsel, with which it has no connection.]

1. An assembly of men summoned or convened for consultation, deliberation, or advice; as, a council of physicians for consultation in a critical case.

2. A body of man elected or appointed to constitute an advisory or a legislative assembly; as, a governor's council; a city council.

   An old lord of the council rated me the other day.
   --Shak.

3. Act of deliberating; deliberation; consultation.

   Satan . . . void of rest, His potentates to council called by night.
   --Milton.

   O great in action and in council wise.
   --Pope.

   Aulic council. See under Aulic.

   Cabinet council. See under Cabinet.

   City council, the legislative branch of a city government, usually consisting of a board of aldermen and common council, but sometimes otherwise constituted.

   Common council. See under Common.

   Council board, Council table, the table round which a council holds consultation; also, the council itself in deliberation.

   Council chamber, the room or apartment in which a council meets.

   Council fire, the ceremonial fire kept burning while the Indians hold their councils. [U.S.]
   --Bartlett.

   Council of war, an assembly of officers of high rank, called to consult with the commander in chief in regard to measures or importance or nesessity.

   Ecumenical council (Eccl.), an assembly of prelates or divines convened from the whole body of the church to regulate matters of doctrine or discipline.

   Executive council, a body of men elected as advisers of the chief magistrate, whether of a State or the nation. [U.S.]

   Legislative council, the upper house of a legislature, usually called the senate.

   Privy council. See under Privy. [Eng.]

   Syn: Assembly; meeting; congress; diet; parliament; convention; convocation; synod.

n. a council that shares the supreme executive power

Executive Council may refer to:

In government:

• Executive Council (Commonwealth countries), a constitutional organ that exercises executive power and advises the governor
• Executive Council of Bern, the government of the Swiss canton of Bern
• Executive Council of Vojvodina, the government of the Serbian province of Vojvodina
• Executive Council (South Africa), the name of the cabinet in the governments of South African provinces
• Executive Council of Hong Kong, a council that advises and assists the Chief Executive of Hong Kong
• Executive Council of the Irish Free State, cabinet and de facto executive branch of government of the 1922–1937 Irish Free State
• Executive Council of Macau, a council that advises and assists the Chief Executive of Macau
• Executive Council of New Hampshire, an executive body of the U.S. state of New Hampshire
• Executive Council of New South Wales, the cabinet of New South Wales, consisting of the Ministers, presided over by the Governor
• Executive Council of the African Union, a council of ministers designated by the governments of member countries
• Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, the local executive authority of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
• Federal Executive Council (Australia)
• Federal Executive Council (Nigeria)
• Executive Council of Singapore 1946-1959
  • replaced the Executive Council of the Straits Settlements (c. 1877) and replaced by the Council of Ministers of Singapore (ceased to exist during 1963-1965)
• Federal Executive Council (Yugoslavia)
• Viceroy's Executive Council, an advisory body during the time of British rule in India

In other fields:

• Alberta College and Technical Institute Student Executive Council, a coalition of college and technical institute students' associations
• Stock Exchange Executive Council, a financial regulation council in the People's Republic of China

An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and (notionally) advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.

Executive Councillors are informally called "ministers". Some Executive Councils, especially in Canada and Australia, are chaired by a President or a Vice-President. In other Commonwealth countries there is no formal president of the Executive Council, although meetings are held in the presence of the Governor-general or Governor (except in rare cases) and decisions require the Governor-general's assent.

These Councils have almost the same functions as the Privy Council in the United Kingdom and Canada, and accordingly, decisions of the Cabinet gain legal effect by being formally adopted by the Executive Council.

Executive councils in the provinces and territories of Canada are constitutional organs headed by the lieutenant governor and composed of the ministers in office.

A Council's informal but functioning form is the Cabinet, headed by a provincial premier, who holds de facto power over the body. The Executive Council in Canadian provinces is composed only of ministers in office, and is the official body by which the Cabinet's constitutional advice is given to the lieutenant governor. That is, it serves the same function provincially as the Queen's Privy Council for Canada does federally except that the Executive Council does not have the ceremonial role of directly advising the Queen, proclaiming her successors, or assenting to some royal marriages.

These are the:

• Executive Council of Alberta
• Executive Council of British Columbia
• Executive Council of Manitoba
• Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Executive Council of New Brunswick
• Executive Council of Quebec
• Executive Council of Nova Scotia
• Executive Council of Ontario
• Executive Council of Prince Edward Island
• Executive Council of Saskatchewan

Canadian territories also have councils. These are the:

• Executive Council of Yukon
• Executive Council of the Northwest Territories
• Executive Council of Nunavut

The executive branch of the Canadian federal government is not called an executive council. Executive power is exercised by the Canadian Cabinet who are always members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.

Category:Government of Canada

In South Africa, the Executive Council of a province is the cabinet of the provincial government. The Executive Council consists of the Premier and five to ten other members, who have the title "Member of the Executive Council", commonly abbreviated to "MEC".

MECs are appointed by the Premier from amongst the members of the provincial legislature; he or she can also dismiss them. The provincial legislature may force the Premier to reconstitute the council by passing a motion of no confidence in the Executive Council excluding the Premier; if the legislature passes a motion of no confidence in the Executive Council including the Premier, then the Premier and the MECs must resign.

The Premier designates powers and functions to the MECs; conventionally they are assigned portfolios in specific areas of responsibility. They are accountable to the provincial legislature, both individually and as a collective, and must regularly report to the legislature on the performance of their responsibilities.

The Western Cape, the only province to have adopted its own constitution, chose to call its Executive Council the "Provincial Cabinet", and its MECs "Provincial Ministers".