with arrondissemental commissars City and communal entities (local government): A city or communal council A mayor, assisted by aldermen, is tasked with local matters Magistrates Court, Correctional Court (three judges) Justice of the peace and Police Court judges (single judge courts) Secularism (separation of state and religion): The king, the head of state, holds no political authority and requires executive approval by a minister for every action and statement; he nominates the ministers but he does not choose them (his executive powers); he signs and decrees the laws voted in parliament (his legislative powers); The head of state is commander in chief of the military (in title only), politically the military depends on the Minister of Defence and the chiefs of staff are responsible towards parliament and take their orders from the Minister of Defence and the government; Certain functions are deemed incompatible and people must resign from their function if they want to assume responsibilities in another function (military commanders have never been government ministers, even during a war). China Imperial China Three Lords and Nine Ministers (ancient) Three Lords: Chancellor – executive leader Grandee Secretary (Censorate chief and also Deputy Chancellor) – supervisory leader Grand Commandant – military leader Nine Ministers / Nine Courts, etc. Three Departments and Six Ministries (medieval) Department of State Affairs – edict execution Ministry of Personnel Ministry of Revenue Ministry of Rites Ministry of War Ministry of Justice Ministry of Works Secretariat – edict formulation Chancellery – edict review Censorate – supervision Nine Courts, Five Directorates, etc. Ming and Qing dynasties Emperor, via Grand Council or equivalent Grand Secretariat (cabinet) – edict formulation Six Ministries – edict execution Censorate – supervision Reviewers of the – supervising the Six Ministries 13~20 Circuits investigating censors –supervising regional officials Five Courts, etc. Judicial : Ministry of Justice – case judgement Censorate – case supervision Court of Judicature and Revision – case review Military Emperor Privy Council or equivalent Ministry of War Commands (e.g., Three Commands of the Northern Song royal guard forces, and of the Ming armies) Republic of China According to Sun Yat-sen's idea of "separation of the five powers", the government of the Republic of China has five branches: Executive Yuan – led by the premier but in actuality it is the president who sets policy – executive Legislative Yuan – unicameral – legislature Judicial Yuan – its Constitutional Court (highest) and Supreme Court