Minister President - Definition and Overview

A minister-president (Ministerpräsident) is the head of government of a German federal state; the office corresponds to the governorship of a state in the United States.

Generally the constitutional position of a minister-president in a state is very similar to the one of chancellor on the federal level. He is elected by a majority in the parliament of the federal state (Landtag), appoints the ministers and determines the policy guidelines. He also, along with several of his ministers, represents the state in the Bundesrat.