Czar (political term)

Czar, sometimes spelled tsar, is an informal title used for certain high-level officials in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom, typically granted broad power to address a particular issue. The title is usually treated as gender-neutral, though the technically correct Russian term for a female title holder would be czarina.

In the United States, czars are generally executive branch officials appointed by the head of the executive branch (such as the president for the federal government, or the governor of a state). Czars may require confirmation with Senate approval while others do not. Some appointees outside the executive branch are called czars as well. Specific instances of the term are often a media creation.^[1]

In the United Kingdom, the term is more loosely used to refer to high-profile appointments who devote their skills to one particular area.

The word czar is of Slavic origin, etymologically originating from the name Caesar, as with the word tsar, a title of sovereignty, first created and used by the First Bulgarian Empire.^[2] The title was later adopted and used by the Serbian Empire and Tsardom of Russia.