Look - it's not just "America." Don't for a second pretend that Brits don't do the same thing from time to time. I've encountered many Brits who don't get the difference between the US system and the British system, and the separation of legislative from executive functions in government.Clinton Huxley wrote:But, when an American uses the term "head of state" or "head of government" they mean the same thing.Coito ergo sum
Americans should learn that the rest of the world is not America and does not do things the American way. A presumption of similarity is a sign of intellectual laziness and a lack of curiosity.
However, I'm no defender of Sarah Palin, but to say "head of state" and "head of government" and use them interchangeably is just about vocabulary, not intellectual thinking.
And, again, technically, your "head of state" is a figurehead, and in reality the head of state - for all FUNCTIONAL purposes is the same as your head of government. Your Queen is NOMINALLY a head of state, but in reality she has very little in the way of functional power beyond that of a rubber stamp and ceremonial.