COMPARATIVE POLITICS THE EXECUTIVE Flashcards
Similarities of Pm and President in chief executive
Both are head of government
Similarities of Pm and President in legislation
Both can initiate legislation
Botg will try to convince legislative to pass their bills
Similarities of Pm and President in military powers
Both key military decision-maker
Both have had military operations without consulting legislative
Similarities of Pm and President in succession
PM and President both have a Vice/Deputy
Similarities of Pm and President in patronage
Both can reward supporters with a promotion
Differences of Pm and President in chief executive
UK - PM is Primus inter Parus in a collectie executive
US - President is singular executive , more executive powers - executive orders
Differences of Pm and President in head of state
UK - Monarch is head of state
US - president is head of state
Differences of Pm and President in legislation
UK - government controls the laws debated, a majority and whips mean policy passed easy
US - Congress makes it’s own legislation, gov can suggest but may be rejected, less ability to pass legislation - sep of power means less promotions
Differences of Pm and President in financial power
UK - government shutdowns aren’t a thing, a majority in a gov passes budget easily
US - President dependent on congress to pass his budget, can lead to gov shutdowns
Differences of Pm and President in military powers
UK - Monarchy is commander-in-chief but pm still in control, PM can declare war
US - President is commander-in-chief, president can’t declare war - 1972 war powers act
Differences of Pm and President in appointments
UK - No checks on who is in cabinet
US - senate conformation on president appointments to cabinet, president appoints USSC justices
Differences of Pm and President in election
UK - PM indirectly elected
US - President is directly elected
Differences of Pm and President in term limits
Uk - none
usa - 2 terms at a max
Differences of Pm and President in succession
Uk - Deputy not guaranteed next pm, leader election or whoever wins next election
US - Vice president will always be president if president dies, resigns, impeached
Differences of Pm and President in patronage
UK - give peerages and honours, Can make MP’s ministers
US - Sep of powers means less promotions
similarities of accountability to the legislatures in terms of passing legislation
Both leaders introduce their legislative agenda for the year - Queens speech/ state of the union
During periods of minority govs they find it hard to pass legislation
Both budgets scrutinised by legislature
similarities of accountability to the legislatures in terms of scrutiny of the executive
Both legislatures use committees to scrutinise executive
Differences of Pm and President being accountable to the legislatures in passing legislation
UK - pm can rely on majority, use whips to ensure discipline
US - hard as congress divided, more likely to lose their budget vote
Differences of Pm and President being accountable to the legislatures in scrutiny of the executive
UK - Pm faces PMQS and speaks in debates
US - sep of powers prevents President from talking in congress apert from the state of the union speech
Differences of Pm and President being accountable to the legislatures in Removal from office
UK - vote of no confidence with a simple majority gets pm and gov removed
US - President has to be impeached - never had a president convicted before
Similarities in PM and President relationship with cabinet
Both have officers/ministers in charge of a government department
Both select the members on their cabinet
Similarities in PM and President relationship with executive administration
Both leaders require admin support - EXOP and Civil service
Similarities in PM and President relationship with wider bureaucracy
Both act as chief executive for the government bureaucracy
Uk - civil service
US - federal gov and bureaucracy
differences in PM and President relationship with appointments to cabinet
UK - no checks
US - senate confirms cabinet officers
differences in PM and President relationship with power in cabinet
UK - Prime inter Pares
US - president has sole executive authority
differences in PM and President relationship with cabinet rivals
UK - often the PM’s rivals are in their cabinet
US - officers aren’t rivals of president`
differences in PM and President relationship with cabinet reshuffles
UK - PM can reshuffle cabinet as a form of promotion to mp’s
US - No reshuffles to show power
differences in PM and President relationship with cabinet meetings
UK - meets every week
US - meets 2-3 times a year
differences in PM and President relationship with cabinets power over pm
UK - Can lead to end of pm if bad cabinet relations - thatcher after poll tax
US - cabinet can’t threaten presidents power
differences in PM and President relationship with executive administration
Uk - only have cabinet office and PM’s office
US - Exop more extensive than UK
differences in PM and President relationship with wider bureaucracy
Uk - Most top officials in civil service don’t change with gov only spads
US - a new administration will have to fill 4,000 government positions, more than a quarter need confirmation from senate
Structural differences to the executive
Difference with single executive in us and cabinet executive in uk
Pm must be in parliament whereas president can’t due to separation of powers
Difference in vote of no confidence and impeachment
Rational differences to the executive with obama and cameron
Both spent parts of their tenure without a majority in the legislative
Uk - made coalition and then passed collective decisions with lib-dems
US - Obama didn’t use alliance’s but executive orders and executive agreements to pass legislation and treaties
Rational differences to the executive with George W bush and Blair
Both faced national emergency’s with 9/11 and terrorism in uk
Both increased their control
Blair - criticised for being presidential with 2 minister resigning over iraq war
W bush - increased emergency powers of president
Rational differences to the executive with trump and johnson
Both won elections using populist policy
Both criticised for a confrontational attitude to media and used social media to speak populism to people
Cultural differences to the executive
Us culture gives the president more respect than the PM
Uk with cabinet being collective pm can be criticised for exceeding “ first among equals”
Since english civil war Parliamentary sovereignty has had respect, whereas british hostility in the US meant they wanted to not give president too much power
