Guvernor

A governor is a title used for several offices and roles in politics and engineering. In politics, a governor typically refers to the head of the executive branch of a subnational entity such as a state, province, or territory. The term can also describe a colonial administrator or a ceremonial representative of a sovereign power in a territory. In engineering and mechanics, a governor is a device that regulates the speed of a machine by adjusting input such as fuel or fuel-valve flow in response to changes in shaft speed.

In political systems, the role and methods of selection of a governor vary by country. In federations such as the United States, a governor is usually the elected chief executive of a state, responsible for enforcing laws, presenting a budget, and appointing certain officials, with powers that may include veto and clemency in some jurisdictions. Term lengths differ by state, with four-year terms being common and many states imposing term limits. In other systems, governors may be appointed by the central government or a monarch and may serve a more ceremonial role, while a separate head of government runs the administration.

In countries influenced by the Commonwealth or constitutional monarchies, governors can appear as ceremonial heads of provincial or territorial units, representing the Crown or central authority, while real political power rests with locally elected or appointed ministers or chief executives. In India, for example, a governor is the nominal head of a state, appointed by the President for a five-year term and acting largely on the advice of the state cabinet, with certain discretionary powers in specific situations.

The engineering sense of governor encompasses devices such as centrifugal or spring-operated governors used in steam engines, turbines, and other machinery to maintain constant speed.