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comparing executives Flashcards

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1
Q

describe structural differences between the UK and US executives:

A

-in the UK there is fusion of powers (the executive is in the legislature) whereas in the US there’s separation of powers)
-in the UK the PM relies on ‘payroll’ vote (can offer promotions in return for voting in line with them) whereas in the US this doesn’t happen
-in the UK there is a cabinet system, with cabinet members being paid highly and having to adhere to cabinet collective responsibility, therefore they have to publicly agree with the PM. in the US there is no requirement for a cabinet and it is only advisory
-in the UK it’s easier to remove a PM, done through a vote of no confidence e.g. Callaghan 1979, whereas in the US for a president to be removed they have to be impeached which has never been done before
-in the UK the monarch is the head of state whereas in the US the president is the head of state

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2
Q

describe rational differences between the UK and US executives:

A

-leaders have responded differently to a weak legislative position
-e.g. when Obama lost control of the house in the 2010 midterms and lost the senate in 2014, he rarely met with cabinet and used the rational choice of direct authority to govern
-when Cameron failed to secure an overall majority in the 2010 election, he formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, therefore his rational choice was compromise to ensure survival

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3
Q

describe rational similarities between UK and US executives:

A

-they have responded similarly to national emergencies
-e.g. after 9/11 both Bush and Blair maximised their level of control - Bush through emergency orders, Blair through ‘sofa government’
-they both had to make the rational choice of asserting authority in an emergency

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4
Q

describe cultural similarities between UK and US executives:

A

-both the PM (more historically) and the president usually have respect and are highly regarded

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5
Q

describe cultural differences between UK and US legislatures:

A

-in the US there is limited government through seperation of powers whereas in the UK there is a parliamentary government where parliament holds the executive to account and parliament is sovereign

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6
Q

compare the role of chief executive:

A

-in the UK the PM is part of a collective executive of UK parliament under a cabinet system where the PM is ‘primus inter pares’
-in the US the president is the sole authority

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7
Q

compare the role of head of state:

A

-in the UK the monarch is the head of state
-in the US the president is the head of state

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8
Q

compare the power of legislation:

A

UK
-the UK executive has more legislative powers than the US executive
-as leader of their party the PM can influence their MPs on how they vote on legislation
-fusion of powers allows PM to use their powers of patronage to offer gov. jobs to MPs to encourage them to vote on legislation
-the HoL can only delay legislation for up to a year
-but the PM can’t veto legislation
US
-because of separation of powers, president’s legislative powers are very limited
-president can suggest legislation to congress but it may be rejected
-SC can strike down a law if it’s unconstitutional
-senate can entirely block legislation
-‘payroll vote’ doesn’t happen
-but President can veto legislation

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9
Q

compare financial powers:

A

UK
-much easier for PM to pass their budget
-gov. shutdowns don’t happen
-most PMs lead a majority gov. meaning they have the votes required to easily pass the budget
US
-congress has to approve president’s budget which can be difficult and compromises have to be made
-occasional gov. shutdowns are a dramatic illustration of the limits on presidential power

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10
Q

compare military powers:

A

UK
-PM acts as overall military decision maker but monarch is head of armed forces
-PM can declare war using royal prerogative
-there’s no legal requirement for PM to consult parliament before committing troops
-e.g. in 2011 military action in Libya didn’t have a preceding vote
US
-the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces
-only congress can declare war
-the 1973 war powers act placed legal requirement on the president to seek congressional approval for military action but presidents don’t always adhere to this

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11
Q

compare the role of appointments:

A

UK
-PM can appoint anyone they choose to the executive but have no influence over judicial appointments
US
-president’s appointments to executive branch require senate approval
-president can nominate federal judges (with senate approval) which gives them a big influence over the judiciary

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12
Q

compare the power of elections:

A

UK
-PM’s authority comes from leading the largest majority party in the commons, which gives them a mandate from the last general election, so they don’t need a personal mandate
US
-as the president is directly elected they get a personal mandate

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13
Q

compare the power of term limits:

A

UK
-PM has no term limits
-power tends to decrease towards the end of their time in office, especially if their support from their party and the public wanes
US
-presidents can only serve 2 terms which weakens their power in the second term especially if they have to become a lame duck president

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14
Q

compare succession:

A

UK
-it’s not a constitutional requirement to appoint a deputy PM
-deputy PM is unlikely to succeed a PM as leader
-PM is succeeded by whoever leads the party with the most support in the commons
US
-clear line of succession
-constitution states that a VP automatically succeeds the president if they die, resign or are removed from office
-presidential candidates chose a running mate
-if a VP resigns, dies, or becomes president, a candidate for the vacant position is chosen by the president and confirmed by both houses

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15
Q

compare the power of patronage:

A

UK
-PM can reward supporters with cabinet or government positions, which is useful as it increases their influence over parliament, where they can depend on the loyalty of thr payroll vote
-PM can recommend supporters for life peerages/honours so they can influence the composition of the lords and hence influence thew legislative process
US
-because of separation of powers, the president can’t influence members of congress through the payroll vote

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16
Q

compare the power of the pardon:

A

UK
-only the monarch can issue a royal pardon, on the advice of the justice secretary
US
-president has the power of the pardon, and uses it widely
-e.g. Trump pardoned 143 people in his first four years in office

17
Q

how do both executive leaders announce their upcoming proposals for legislation for a coming year?

A

-UK: monarch delivers the monarch’s speech on behalf of the government at the state opening of parliament, also announced through manifesto
-US: president makes a state of union address, although they don’t have a manifesto they do have an agenda upon which they are elected

18
Q

in which country is it easier for the executive leader to pass legislation and why?

A

easier in the UK
-the PM can use the whip system to ensure party discipline on gov. legislation
-the PM has no veto power but is less likely to be faced with legislation that they don’t support
-the PM only has to convincer the HoC to pass their legislation, which is usually easy as they normally hold a majority
-however PMs can still struggle to pass legislation especially if they don’t have strong support in their party e.g. May couldn’t pass her EU withdrawal bill
-in the US members of congress are less subsurvient to the president and the president often has a difficult relationship with congress, especially if their party doesn’t control both houses
-e.g after 2010 midterms Obama lost the house to the republicans, making it impossible for him to pass any laws that restricted gun rights
-but the president can veto legislation ,and it’s very hard for congress to overturn that veto (need a supermajority)

19
Q

compare how UK and US legislatures scrutinise the executive:

A

-both legislatures use the committee system, with UK committees scrutinising in the process of stature creation and US committees deciding which laws progress in the legislative process (therefore they’re more significant in the US)
-the PM is personally held to account by PMQs (however this is often just punch and judy politics)
-because of separation of powers, the president can only address congress at the state of union address and occasional joint session of congress (in times of emergency)

20
Q

compare how leaders in both countries can be removed from office:

A

-overall easier to do in the UK
-UK: at any time the commons can call a vote of no confidence (e.g. Callaghan), and only a simple majority vote is required. PMs can also be forced to resign by their party if they don’t have enough support in the commons e.g. Boris Johnson
-US: congress would have to navigate the complex process of impeachment for wrongdoing. no president has ever been successfully impeached

21
Q

compare the relationship of the UK PM and US president with the cabinet?

A

UK
-PM can choose appointments to cabinet
-PM is primus inter pares
-cabinet is the ultimate decision making body
-collective cabinet responsibility means gov. ministers must publicly support gov. policy
-ministers are often the PM’s political rivals e.g. Thatcher got booted out by her own cabinet
-ministers aren’t generally policy specialists
-ministers are often moved from one department to another
-cabinet reshuffles are used as a form of patronage and control e.g. Macmillan’s Night of the long knives
-PM can fall from power if they lose the support of their cabinet e.g. Boris Johnson
-cabinet meetings are usually held weekly e.g. Blair’s sofa politics
US
-cabinet nominees need senate confirmation
-president doesn’t share executive authority with cabinet members because cabinet isn’t part of EXOP
-cabinet officers are only responsible for their own departments
-cabinet officers are not political rivals of the president
-officers tend to be policy specialists (although questionable under Trump’s cabinet e.g. defence secretary has had military experience but not a direct policy specialist)
-officers tend to stay in the same departments
-cabinet reshuffles are not used to increase the president’s control of the party
-cabinet has no power to threaten the president’s position
-president may only call a few cabinet meetings a year (e.g. Trump rarely held cabinet meetings, with any meetings that did happen being focused on public displays of loyalty rather than in-depth policy discussions)

22
Q

what relationship do both leaders have with the wider bureaucracy?

A

-both leaders act as chief executive for the whole government bureaucracy
-US: president heads the federal gov. and federal agencies
-UK: PM controls civil service and government agencies

comparative government and politics (6 decks)

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