Is the Prime Minister Effectively a President? Flashcards
Is the prime minister effectively a President?
Arguments that the UK PM is now effectively a president include:
The media concentrate more on the PM as government spokesperson
The greater concentration on presentation of policy
The greater importance of the ‘presidential’ role in terms of foreign policy, military issues, global conferences and so on
The growth of the Downing Street ‘machine’, looking increasingly like an ‘executive office of the president’
Spatial leadership issues- the PM developing a personal policy agenda, separate from their parties
The increased use of special advisers personally loyal to the PM
The personality of some prime ministers, notably Blair, Cameron
Arguments that the UK PM is not effectively a president include:
Prime ministers are not heads of state constitutionally
They are limited by party, cabinet and parliament- it is much easier for them to be removed than it is for a president
PMs can be removed from office in mid-term, for example Thatcher
It is very much an issue of the individual’s ‘style’- the PM may act like a president, but that does not make them one constitutionally
Events and other factors cause variations in dominance- certain PMs may be more presidential than others
