COMPARATIVE POLITICS THE EXECUTIVE

Question 1

Similarities of Pm and President in chief executive

Answer 1

Both are head of government

Question 2

Similarities of Pm and President in legislation

Answer 2

Both can initiate legislation

Botg will try to convince legislative to pass their bills

Question 3

Similarities of Pm and President in military powers

Answer 3

Both key military decision-maker

Both have had military operations without consulting legislative

Question 4

Similarities of Pm and President in succession

Answer 4

PM and President both have a Vice/Deputy

Question 5

Similarities of Pm and President in patronage

Answer 5

Both can reward supporters with a promotion

Question 6

Differences of Pm and President in chief executive

Answer 6

UK - PM is Primus inter Parus in a collectie executive

US - President is singular executive , more executive powers - executive orders

Question 7

Differences of Pm and President in head of state

Answer 7

UK - Monarch is head of state

US - president is head of state

Question 8

Differences of Pm and President in legislation

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Differences of Pm and President in financial power

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Differences of Pm and President in military powers

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Differences of Pm and President in appointments

Answer 11

UK - No checks on who is in cabinet

US - senate conformation on president appointments to cabinet, president appoints USSC justices

Question 12

Differences of Pm and President in election

Answer 12

UK - PM indirectly elected

US - President is directly elected

Question 13

Differences of Pm and President in term limits

Answer 13

Uk - none

usa - 2 terms at a max

Question 14

Differences of Pm and President in succession

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Differences of Pm and President in patronage

Answer 15

UK - give peerages and honours, Can make MP’s ministers

US - Sep of powers means less promotions

Question 16

similarities of accountability to the legislatures in terms of passing legislation

Answer 16

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

Question 17

similarities of accountability to the legislatures in terms of scrutiny of the executive

Answer 17

Both legislatures use committees to scrutinise executive

Question 18

Differences of Pm and President being accountable to the legislatures in passing legislation

Answer 18

UK - pm can rely on majority, use whips to ensure discipline

US - hard as congress divided, more likely to lose their budget vote

Question 19

Differences of Pm and President being accountable to the legislatures in scrutiny of the executive

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Differences of Pm and President being accountable to the legislatures in Removal from office

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Similarities in PM and President relationship with cabinet

Answer 21

Both have officers/ministers in charge of a government department

Both select the members on their cabinet

Question 22

Similarities in PM and President relationship with executive administration

Answer 22

Both leaders require admin support - EXOP and Civil service

Question 23

Similarities in PM and President relationship with wider bureaucracy

Answer 23

Both act as chief executive for the government bureaucracy

Uk - civil service

US - federal gov and bureaucracy

Question 24

differences in PM and President relationship with appointments to cabinet

Answer 24

UK - no checks

US - senate confirms cabinet officers

Question 25

differences in PM and President relationship with power in cabinet

Answer 25

UK - Prime inter Pares

US - president has sole executive authority

Question 26

differences in PM and President relationship with cabinet rivals

Answer 26

UK - often the PM’s rivals are in their cabinet

US - officers aren’t rivals of president`

Question 27

differences in PM and President relationship with cabinet reshuffles

Answer 27

UK - PM can reshuffle cabinet as a form of promotion to mp’s

US - No reshuffles to show power

Question 28

differences in PM and President relationship with cabinet meetings

Answer 28

UK - meets every week

US - meets 2-3 times a year

Question 29

differences in PM and President relationship with cabinets power over pm

Answer 29

UK - Can lead to end of pm if bad cabinet relations - thatcher after poll tax

US - cabinet can’t threaten presidents power

Question 30

differences in PM and President relationship with executive administration

Answer 30

Uk - only have cabinet office and PM’s office

US - Exop more extensive than UK

Question 31

differences in PM and President relationship with wider bureaucracy

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Structural differences to the executive

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Rational differences to the executive with obama and cameron

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Rational differences to the executive with George W bush and Blair

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Rational differences to the executive with trump and johnson

Answer 35

Both won elections using populist policy

Both criticised for a confrontational attitude to media and used social media to speak populism to people

Question 36

Cultural differences to the executive

Answer 36

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