government ministry
A high-level executive department of a national or sub-national government.
A government ministry is a high-level executive or administrative arm of a national, or sometimes sub-national (i.e. provincial or state-level), government. A ministry is generally responsible for one particular topic of governance or administration.
The ministry is an executive or administrative department with a defined area of responsibility. Its high-level departmental role distinguishes it from an individual service counter or branch office administering one part of a program.
The subject of responsibility supplies a more specific description, such as finance or defense. National ministries are included, and a comparable department of a state or province can also meet the broader ministry definition.