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The termadministration, as used in the context ofgovernment, differs according to thejurisdiction under which it operates. In general terms, the administration can be described as a decision-making body.[1]
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InAmerican usage, the term generally refers to theexecutive branch under a specificpresident (orgovernor,mayor, or other local executives); or the term of a particular executive; for example: "President Y's administration" or "Secretary of Defense X during President Y's administration."[2] It can also mean an executive branch agency headed by an administrator, as theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA),Small Business Administration or theNational Archives and Records Administration.
The term "administration" has been used to denote the executive branch inpresidential systems of government.
The term's usage inEurope varies by country. Still, most typically the word "administration" refers tomanagerial functions in general, which may include local governments, or the hierarchy of national and local government, that applies to a town or district. More specifically, it may refer topublic administration, the business of administeringpublic policy as determined by the government. However, outsideFrance andRomania, this usage of the word is uncommon.
For the British sense of the word, most countries use the termgovernment, referring to the "administration" ofWinston Churchill as the "Churchill government".[3] This is also true for the non-European members of theCommonwealth of Nations. An older, chieflyCommonwealth usage, is the term"ministry", as in "Churchill Ministry", which is still in official and academic use in Britain, Australia, and Canada to refer the terms ofprime ministers.[4]
The wordcoalition may be used for a specific government depending on the type of government. In the Netherlands, cabinet is the most-used term (as in "thefourth Balkenende cabinet"). However "coalition" or "government" are also used when one does not refer to a specific coalition (note that the two terms have slightly different meanings).
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