Relationship of the UK prime minister and US president to their institutions of government

Question 1

Cabinet

Answer 1

US cabinet:
* cabinet nominees need senate confirmation
* the president does not share executive authority
* us cabinet officers are not political rivals of the president
* cabinet officers tend to be policy specialists

UK cabinet:
* PM can appoint tho they want
* The pm is primus inter pares in a system of collective cabinet govt
* UK cabinet ministers are often the pm’s political rivals
* UK cabinet ministers are generally not policy specialists

Question 2

Executive administration

Answer 2

• Both leaders recieve considerable administrive support to help them run their governments
• EXOP is much more extensive than the cabinet office

Question 3

Wider bureaucracy

Answer 3

• Both leaders act as chief executive for the whole government bureaucracy. The president heads the federal government and federal agencies, and the prime minister controls the civil service and government agencies
• The vast majority of top officials in the UK civil service do not change from one goct to the next. In contrast a new US administration needs to fill around 4000 govt positions