Executive Branch Flashcards
The executive is…
The head of government that puts laws and programs into effect
In the UK the executive is the…
Prime minister
And in the USA the executive is…
The President
In this essay, the powers of the prime minister focused on is…
The power of appointment, control of government business and representative abroad
The powers of the president focused on are…
The power of appointment, legislative power and representing the USA abroad
This essay argues…
The executive has few limits on its powers in the UK and the US executive has more limits.
Prime minister power of appointment meaning
The prime minister has few limits on the power of appointment in the UK. The prime minister has the power to appoint cabinet members of their choice and will specifically hire people they know will support their policy decisions
Limitation of prime minister of the power of appointment
However over time this power of appointment can prove limiting if the person they appointed becomes more influential and powerful than the Prime Minister themselves
Prime minister’s powers of appointment example
For example, Boris Johnson appointed Rushi Sunak as chancellor in 2019 as he felt he would deliver on his policy ideas
Prime minister power of appointment analysis
This shows the prime minister as the head of the executive has clear power through appointing a chancellor of his choice to guide his economy policy direction
President power of appointment meaning
However, in the USA the president has more limits placed upon the power of appointment that the prime minister does. Whilst the president has complete power over appointing his Vice President and White House staff,
President in power of appointment limitation
He is limited when appointing a Supreme Court justice as it requires 2/3 of senate approval.
President in power of appointment example
For example, in 2016 Barack Obama had his Supreme Court nomination of Marick Garland rejected by the Senate due to him having less than 200 days left as president
President in power of appointment analysis
This suggests that the president is very limited in the power of appointment in Supreme Court nominations, suggesting they’ll only be accepted if there is a senate majority favouring the presidents party
Overall: power of appointment
Overall, the suggestion that the executive has few limits on its powers of appointment is accurate for the prime minister who can generally appoint cabinet ministers of their choice without restriction, unlike the president who especially in the case of Supreme Court justices has limited power due to requiring senate approval on nominations
Prime minister on control of government business meaning
The prime minister has few limits on their control of government business. This prime minister has the power to set agenda of the government, deciding what is discussed and what takes priority
Prime minster on the control of gov business limitation
However, the prime minister is dependent on MP and minister support to agree with the government posterior which limits their power
Prime minister on control of gov business example
For example, Boris Johnson’s focus on negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU as the prime minister he dictated the direction of the negotiation at the UK level
Prime minister on control of gov business analysis
This shows the prime minister as the head of the executive has a clear power as they can dictate the entire government programme and set up cabinet committees to tackle particular issues they’re chosen to focus on
President on legislative power and agenda setting meaning
However the US president has more limitations placed upon legislative power and agenda setting. Although the president outlines their proposals and spending plans to congress a the state of union address…
President on legislative power and agenda setting limitation
The separation of powers means that the president cannot introduce legislation, only congress can
President on legislative power and agenda setting example
For example at trumps recent state of union address, Nancy Pelosi ripped up his speech afterwards suggesting his plans weren’t taken seriously by congress
President on legislative power and agenda setting analysis
This suggests the president has limited power in agenda setting as they must be clear or actions may not agree with the original plan and ultimately congress has the most power
Overall: control of gov business and legislative power and agenda setting
Overall the suggestion that the executive has few limits on its power in agenda setting is true for the prime minister as they can choose the most pressing issue which takes priority whereas in the USA, the presidents power is limited as congress decide which policies they support and which get passed
President on representative of USA abroad meaning
The president has few limits on being a representative of the USA abroad. The president will meet different countries leaders, sign treaties and appoint US ambassadors
President on representative abroad limitation
However this can limit their power as negative headlines can seriously damage their public image, thus damaging support
President on representative abroad example
For example, in 2019, Trump met with the leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un becoming the first sitting president to enter North Korea
President on representative abroad analysis
This gives the president power as it makes them look more powerful on an international stage and relieve tension and improve the relationship between North Korea and America
Prime minister on representative abroad meaning
However in the UK, the Prime minister’s power is more limited whilst being a representative abroad. This is because even though the prime minister looks strong tackling international affairs and not just domestic events,
Prime minister on representative abroad limitation
The constant exposure and high-profile mistakes can lead to a negative media image for the prime minister
Prime minister on representative abroad example
For example, David Cameron had to embarrassingly field difficult questions whether he asked ministers to resign if they didn’t support his position on European membership at the G7 summit
Prime minister on representative abroad analysis
This shows that David Cameron faced negative effects of the media, weakening his authority thus limiting power.
Prime minister on representative abroad analysis
This shows that David Cameron faced negative effects of the media, weakening his authority thus limiting power.
Overall: representative abroad
Overall the suggestion that the president has few limits on its powers when representing the USA abroad is accurate as seen by the improved relations between North Korea and America after trump visited, unlike the prime minister who can be shown in a bad light in the media, reducing their support and power
Conclusion on power of appointment
In conclusion, the suggestion that the executive has few limits on its powers when it comes to the power of appointment is true to fir the prime minister shown by their general freedom when assigning the cabinet whereas the president faces more limits on their power as the senate have the final say in nominations
Conclusion on control of gov business and legislative power and agenda setting
When it comes to government business, the Prime minister faces less limits on its powers as they decide which issues will be prioritised in cabinet whereas the president has more limits on its powers in agenda setting as if their ideas don’t appeal to congress, it makes it very difficult to get ideas across as congress are in charge of passing legislation
Conclusion on representative abroad
The president has few limitations on its powers when being a reosentatviebaborad as the president is more power and a commanding in an international stage whereas the prime minister has more limitations on its owners due to the vulnerability shown by David Cameron at the G7 summit when questioned by leaders.
Overall conclusion of executive branch
Overall the executive in the UK the prime minister, has less limitations on its powers than the executive in the USA, the president does.
