Government and Prime Minister Capitalization
Government-related capitalization depends on whether a phrase is a formal name or formal/current title versus a generic description. The Australian Government Style Manual provides a clear house-style model: capitalize formal entities and office-holder titles, but lowercase generic references and previous-incumbent descriptions. Other institutions may use different title conventions, so label the rule by style.
Capitalize formal government names and formal titles when the governing style calls for them; use lowercase for generic references. In Australian Government style, “Australian Government” and the current formal title “Prime Minister” take capitals, while generic “government” and references such as “a former prime minister” are lowercase.
Key details
Important caveats
House Style Boundary
Title capitalization varies among publishers, jurisdictions, and institutional styles. Do not convert one government style manual’s treatment into a universal rule for every political title worldwide.
Further guidance
Government Names
Use capitals for a formal government name under the reviewed style, such as “Australian Government.” Use lowercase when “government” is only a generic reference: “the government announced…”
Prime Minister Title
The reviewed Australian Government style capitalizes the formal/current title “Prime Minister” in contexts such as “The Prime Minister announced…”. It lowercases generic or previous-incumbent references such as “the first prime minister of Australia.”
Reader Check
Ask two questions: Is this the official name/title, or merely a generic description? Which style system governs the document? Those answers should control capitalization.
Worked Examples
Formal name: “the Australian Government.” Generic reference: “the government.” Current formal title in the reviewed style: “the Prime Minister.” Historical/generic description: “a former prime minister.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Government terms (opens in a new tab)Australian Government Style Manual · Uses initial capitals for formal government names/titles and lowercase for generic references; specifically capitalizes “government” only when part of a formal name.