What is the difference between a Prime Minister and a President?

Great question Lana! Prime ministers and presidents lead their countries but their roles differ depending on the system of government of their country.

The term president usually refers to the head of state of a country that is a republic. A prime minister is the leader of the government of a country with a parliamentary system of government that is either a constitutional monarchy (Australia) or a republic (India and Taiwan). In some systems of government (Indonesia and the United States), the president is both the head of state and the leader of the government.

In Australia, the term President is used for the senator chosen to lead the Senate – the President of the Senate.