Accountability to the US and UK legislatures

Question 1

What is the most significant difference here?

Answer 1

Structural

Question 2

Explain the differences in terms of the separation of powers?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What does the president have no formal links with?

Answer 3

Congress

Question 4

Why does it not matter that the president may not have a majority in either house in terms of carrying on with their role?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What does the PM have to control the legislature that the PM does not?

Answer 5

Carrots and sticks. The sticks of party discipline are ineffective and the carrots of executive appointments are usually unwanted

Question 6

List some of the significant checks on the president possessed by congress

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

I’ll list an aspect of the presidents relationship with congress and you say the equivalent one for the PM and parliament

Answer 7

!!!

Question 8

State of the union address

Answer 8

King’s speech

Question 9

Depends on the senate to confirm appointments

Answer 9

No need for parliament to consent

Question 10

Possibility of divided government

Answer 10

May not have majority in the lords

Question 11

Budget may be significantly amended or rejected by congress

Answer 11

Budget subject to parliamentary scrutiny

Question 12

No executive branch members in congress

Answer 12

Executive branch members in parliament, with the executive dominating the legislature

Question 13

No subject to personal questioning by members of congress

Answer 13

PMQs

Question 14

Gets agreements in congress through persuasion and bargaining

Answer 14

Gets agreements in parliament mostly through party discipline and relaince on the payroll vote

Question 15

President is subject to impeachment by the house and trial by the senate

Answer 15

The PM and government are collectively subject to a vote of no confidence

Question 16

What is the consequence of the fact that the PM will be the leader of the largest party in the commons?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What does parliament also have?

Answer 17

Methods of scrutising and checking executive actions

Question 18

List the ways parliament can hold the PM and the government to account

Answer 18

PMQs, select committees, policy debates, early day motions and votes of no confidence

Question 19

How can the effectiveness of these methods be questioned?

Answer 19

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