WEEK 4 - Legislatures and Executives Flashcards
What is the Executive?
Often dubbed Govt. or Administration
Its the branch of government responsible for the execution or implementation of policy.
- One of the 3 main branches
What are the types of executive?
Political Executive:
Head of Govt., Head of state, cabinet
Bureaucratic Executive:
Body of Civil servants
What is the presidential government?
Divides power between president and legislature.
- Does so via separate
elections for legislature
and executive.
How does the Presidential System work?
- The voters elect the
legislature and the
president separately - The president chooses
cabinet ministers. - The cabinet ministers
administer departments
What is the legislature?
Deliberative assembly with the authority to make laws.
Assemblies, Parliaments, Congress
What are the elements of the executive in the US?
- Directly elected
- Personalised executive
- Position not dependent on
support legislature
(Congress)
In what ways can the US executive be weakened?
- Despite not being dependent on congress. The president can still be impeached with 2/3 majority vote
- Effectiveness of the President can be reliant on party support. i.e Trump and GOP lawmakers resistance
How does the executive arise in the parliamentary system?
Executive emerges from the assembly (often in form of coalition) and remains accountable to it.
How does the parliamentary system work?
- Voters elect the legislature
(MP’s and Party) - The legislature can
approve and remove
governing party or
parties. - The head of state (The
Queen) formally approves
the governing party or
parties. - The prime minister and
cabinet come from the
governing party or parties
What are the types of government in parliamentary systems?
- Single party government
- Coalition Governments
(most of Europe)
And also Majority v Minority Govts.
What are the statistics for the types of governments in parliamentary systems?
- 45% Majority Coalition
- 13% Single party majority
- 19% Minority Coalition
- 23% Single party minority
How long do different types of Parliamentary Governments last?
From: Akash Paun, ‘United We Stand? Coalition Government in the UK’, Institute for Government, September 2010
- Single party majority
(roughly 850 days) - Minimal winning coalition
(650 days) - Single party minority
(550 days)
etc.
What are the strengths of Prime Ministers?
The strength varies across countries. - Prime Ministerial Govt. (e.g: UK, Japan, Canada, Aus) - Cabinet Govt. (e.g. Nordic Europe) - Ministerial Govt. (e.g Germany, Italy)
- Power of patronage is stronger in single-party governments (Can hire and
fire cabinet ministers)
BUT, PM always relies on support of party (Theresa May on Brexit)
What are the differences between the Presidential system and Parliamentary system?
(FOCUSING ON PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM HERE)
Presidential System (Seperation of Powers):
- Directly elected exec (in
addition to elected
legislature) - Cabinet subordinate to
president (one above all) - Executive not dependent
on support legislature
(congress) - Exec unable to dissolve
legislature - Exec lacks guaranteed
support of legislature
What are the differences between the Presidential system and Parliamentary system?
(FOCUSING ON PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM HERE)
Parliamentary System
(Fusion of powers):
- Executive elected
indirectly
(through legislature) - Prime Minister ‘first among
equals’ - Executive dependent on
support legislature - Executive can usually
dissolve legislature - Executive typically
supported by
parliamentary majority
What is Lynden B Johnson’s view to patronage?
’ It’s probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing’
When talking about someone hiring someone he didn’t like to a position
What is a semi-presidential system?
- A system with both an elected president and appointed prime minister - Combines a President with accountability of PM and cabinet to the legislature
How does a semi-presidential system work?
- Voters elect the legislature
and the president. - The president can dissolve
the legislature. - The President appoints the
prime minister who is
linked to the cabinet. - The Prime Minister is
accountable to the
legislature. - The legislature can bring
down cabinet
Where can the semi-presidential systems be found?
- Not widely applied in
liberal democracies - France
- Post-Soviet Russia
- In the Slavic world this is similar but with a 'strong man view' - Yugoslavia: Tito - Serbia: Milosevic - Under Western world this viewed as dictatorship. But, actually some form of democracy. Despite western world starting to focus more on leader
What are the elements of Political Leadership
- Informal dimension of power (how you viewed as a person) i.e Blair viewed as a success where Brown wasn't
- Political skill is now more
relevant - Leadership as a skill
involving emotional
intelligence
Why is political skill more relevant in today’s world?
- Due to age of social/mass
media - Ideological Dealignment
- Demystification of Politics
- Better informed electorate
(Brexit goes against this)
Leading to a more critical voter base and lack of respect to politicians
What are the elements of leadership containing emotional intelligence?
- Self- Awareness
- Self- Regulation
- Motivation defined as a
passion for work going
beyond money and status. - Empathy for others
- Social skills (building
networks and managing
relationships)
i.e Corbyn at Glastonbury
What is the view that politics is becoming more presidential?
- Increased concentration in
hands of political leaders
(Conflating parties with
leaders) - Visible in presidential and
parliamentarian - 3 faces of
presidentialisation:
Executive face, Party face,
Electoral face - Presidentialisation implies
strong but not durable
leadership
What are functions of Legislatures?
- Representation
- Deliberation
- Legislation
- Budget
- Scrutiny
- Making Govts.
What is Uni and Bicameralism?
One or Two chambers.
Second chamber tend to be weaker (exception US and
Italy).
View that the unelected second chamber lacking democratic legitimacy.
What’s the point of a second chamber?
- Check on executive power
- Quality of Legislation
- Wider representation (e.g.
in federations)
What do Parliamentary Committees do?
- Do detailed considerations of legislation - Scrutiny and Oversight on Legislation - Resources and priviledges of committees largely determine 'strength of parliaments'7
- For bills, committees set up
to scrutinise
What are the elements of the US Congress?
- Bicameral: House of
Representatives and Senate - Elections
- Initiates and decides over legislation and budget
- Senate ratifies treaties and
confirms presidential
appointments - Powerful committee system
- Risk of ‘Gridlock’.
(Govt. shutdown)
What are the elements of the legislatures in parliamentary systems?
- Additional functions:Hire
and Fire Cabinets - Legislature here typically has reactive role
- Policy making dominated
by the executive - Fault line between
governing and opposition
parties, not between
legislature and executive
- Policy making dominated
- Party discipline weakens
independence of individual
MP’s
BREXIT HAS COMPLICATED THINGS
