Accountability to the US and UK legislatures Flashcards
What is the most significant difference here?
Structural
Explain the differences in terms of the separation of powers?
The president cannot be a member of congress whereas the PM must be an MP. An elected president who is currently a member of congress must resign their seat - as Obama did after the 2008 election
What does the president have no formal links with?
Congress
Why does it not matter that the president may not have a majority in either house in terms of carrying on with their role?
Their continuance in office does not rely on winning votes in congress. There are no votes of confidence that could end their presidency and bring about a new election. Even if the president was impeached, the VP would step up and take over
What does the PM have to control the legislature that the PM does not?
Carrots and sticks. The sticks of party discipline are ineffective and the carrots of executive appointments are usually unwanted
List some of the significant checks on the president possessed by congress
- Amending, blocking or rejecting budgets or laws proposed by the president
- Overriding the presidential veto
- Rejecting appointments to the executive and judiciary (senate)
- Reject treaties (senate)
- Powers to hold the president accountable through investigation and impeachment of any executive official, including the president
I’ll list an aspect of the presidents relationship with congress and you say the equivalent one for the PM and parliament
!!!
State of the union address
King’s speech
Depends on the senate to confirm appointments
No need for parliament to consent
Possibility of divided government
May not have majority in the lords
Budget may be significantly amended or rejected by congress
Budget subject to parliamentary scrutiny
No executive branch members in congress
Executive branch members in parliament, with the executive dominating the legislature
No subject to personal questioning by members of congress
PMQs
Gets agreements in congress through persuasion and bargaining
Gets agreements in parliament mostly through party discipline and relaince on the payroll vote
President is subject to impeachment by the house and trial by the senate
The PM and government are collectively subject to a vote of no confidence
What is the consequence of the fact that the PM will be the leader of the largest party in the commons?
Their survival depends on maintaining their leadership position and the party maintaining its majority. Not only is the PM an MP, so are the other members of their government
What does parliament also have?
Methods of scrutising and checking executive actions
List the ways parliament can hold the PM and the government to account
PMQs, select committees, policy debates, early day motions and votes of no confidence
How can the effectiveness of these methods be questioned?
Because in the battle between the executive and legislature the PM holds most of the cards - he has wide ranging powers of patronage and the expertise of the civil service
