- Executive: The branch of government that implements, directs and administers laws and governs a nation.
- In the UK: PM, Cabinet and top Civil Servants
- In the USA: POTUS & VPOTUS, Cabinet, EXOP, and White House Office Staff.
- Structurally: In the USA, the executive is merely whoever the POTUS wishes, in the UK this is more set in stone.
- Structural: The Cabinet in the USA is not powerful, it is merely advisory. POTUS who sets the tone of politics in America.
- The Cabinet “may give advice and opinions in writing”
- Constitution structurally puts a check on the POTUS. Congress also does this.
- This is to avoid tyranny.
- Even though the POTUS can set the policy agenda, Congress can merely decide not to give the money and thus end that bill or action e.g Congress vetoing the budget.
- Supreme Court may also strike down actions or legislation proposed by the POTUS e.g Trump’s “Muslim” ban 2017
- Mandate: The authority and legitimacy given by an election e.g May currently has a poor mandate whilst Blair and Thatcher had big majorities hence a bigger mandate and more control overall.
- Structurally: The UK have always had a King or Queen therefore they remain head of state thus limiting the powers of the PM. Though this has decreased in recent years with the rise of prerogative powers.
Powers of
the PM:
- Patronage: Act of appointing someone to a post e.g life peer, honour system and to the cabinet.
- This is important because it rewards loyal ministers. This is a way of keeping people on side and happy. Important so you don’t not get ousted by the party as the PM have helped them.
- Treaties: Agreement with a country about anything but usually on war, trade and peace.
- Commander-in-Chief: Head of the army but recently held by Parliament – a convention – political norm
- Heading up Foreign Policy: The PM’s moral authority in other nations e.g Blair and the Euro 2003
- Setting up the Overall Agenda: Thatcher’s neo-liberalism approach to remove trade unions and remove the post-war consensus. Can also be done through taking their seat in Parliament and voting – done on party lines.
PM
Relationship with the Legislature:
- As long as he or she holds a majority the PM effectively controls the legislature.
- HOL can delay for up to one year but this does nothing to thwart the will of PM
- Structurally: This makes the PM more powerful as passing legislation is easier as he/she is less subject to scrutiny and also means the PM is likely to get their way with foreign policy.
- Scrutiny is provided by select committees, opposition days and PMQs.
Powers of
POTUS:
- Patronage: Appointments to Cabinet and SC
- Commander-In-Chief: For example, Bush played a role in the War on Terror
- Represents the Nation Abroad: Meeting other leaders e.g G20 summit.
- Enact laws and Veto them: Trump removed Obamacare and removed America from the Iran and Paris agreement.
- Dependant on party support and control in both houses to pass laws.
- POTUS can pass Congress through executive orders, standing statements and recess appointments.
- Power is bound by the Constitution.
- Structurally, this sets up the POTUS as a weaker player as Congress is first mentioned in the Constitution.
POTUS
Relationship with Legislature:
- POTUS is directly elected and is thus not part of the legislature meaning he has less control over Congress.
- True if he becomes a lame duck e.g Trump in 2018 losing the HOR to the Democrats.
- Structurally: The Senate is much more powerful than the Lords in the UK.
- Senate is elected and has exclusive powers e.g rejecting SC nominees.
- Equally, Congress has limited power to remove a POTUS unless they choose to impeach this but this is hard.
- HOL is not elected and has very little power.
Rationally:
- Both PM and POTUS act in a self-serving way in order to pursue their own interests and protect their positions.
- Manifesto promises especially if seeking re-election.
- POTUS usually wants to get major policies through in the first two years in order to minimise problems following the mid-term elections.
Structurally:
- POTUS is more constrained by the separation of powers leading to checks and balances meaning they must check their powers before acting.
- PM can dominate politics in the UK as they are part of the legislature but they must ensure the loyalty of MPs.
Culturally:
- Both PM and POTUS are members of a political party and so have to act within the party line as both rely on support in legislature.
- POTUS enjoys his own mandate and so are less constricted by their party.
- History and culture of US politics also mean a POTUS has to face two elected chambers rather than the weaker, unelected second chamber in the UK – the House of Lords.