Final answer:
A presidential democracy elects the leader of the executive branch, where the president is directly elected by the citizens to serve a fixed term. In contrast, a small group of elites who hold political power, often in non-democratic systems, signifies an oligarchy or one-party state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The form of government that elects the leader of the executive branch is a presidential democracy. In a presidential democracy, the head of government, typically referred to as the president, is directly elected by the citizen voters to serve a fixed term. This is in contrast to a parliamentary democracy where the head of government, often called the prime minister, is selected by the legislature. The United States is an example of a presidential democracy, where the president serves both as the head of government and the head of state. Other countries may adopt variations, such as a semi-presidential system, where a separately elected president shares power with a prime minister chosen by the legislature.
As for which form of government is controlled by a small group of elite people, such a system is considered an oligarchy. In some cases, such as a one-party state, this small group may be members of a single political party which holds all the power, and the leadership is not elected through a free and fair democratic process by the general citizenry.