- Is the British prime minister more powerful than the president of the
- How does the power of the prime minister compare with that of the
- Given a choice between serving as the president of the
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Blog Discussion Group Six
Blog post due at 11:55pm on March 22 and comment due at 11:55pm on March 25.
Britain
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How does the Power of the prime minister compare with that of the US president?
ReplyDeleteThe USA citizens vote for a specific person that they want to be president compared to the UK where people vote for a political party that then decides for a leader within the party to become prime mininster. This therefore means that the prime minister is expected to discuss issues, proposals, and actions with other ministers and MP's from their party whereas in the United States presidents can act more on their own since citizens voted for them personally, even though congress still can limit the presidents actions. Another way in which presidents and prime minister's differ from eachother is how prime ministers can pick their cabinet from members of parliament whereas the president can pick anyone they like as long as they are approved by the US senate. The president also happens to be the USA's head of state whereas in the UK it isn't the prime minister but the queen who has this role.
While I see how you are differentiating between the president and prime minster, there are a few other powers outside of the election process, symbolism within a gov, and accountability.
DeleteFor example, while a prime minster is expected to work with the parliament he leads, he also has much more power over it as a result of being the legislature being his/her's majority party. So he can more easily move policy through the parliament. Where the president is independent in party affiliation from the legislature (they are also not directly elected by the people, but instead by an Electoral College), and thus cannot act on his own, but instead has to work more closely with congress to compromise within the system to push his agenda.
Given a choice between serving as the president of the United States or as the prime minister of Great Britain, which job would you prefer? Why
ReplyDeleteThe prime minister often is appointed by the parliament and is made by the party that has the most members in parliament. The president is very restricted in law and decision making by congress and the Supreme Court unlike the prime minister who undoubtly has more power and authority that the president does not. Also the prime minister can appoint, reshuffle or dismiss members of his cabinet. It is natural for most people to want the maximum amount of power and authority as possible that comes with positions such as these and for that reason I would chose to be a prime minister over president. Also the U.S President is restricted by the constitution and the prime minister does not have written guidelines and majority of decisions are made verbally. Although election or appointment are done differently I would chose prime minister. Also another major difference is that a president can only serve a maximum of 2 terms at 4 years each. A prime minister term is initially 5 years but can stay in office as long as he wins elections and has the support of his party.
I agree, I would probably choose Prime Minister. Our system seems to make it almost impossible for the President to have any ability to really affect policy unless the majority in Congress is from the same party. In such a limited time, they are only focused on the gearing up for the next election instead of focusing on the job at hand. Many do not realize the amount of time and effort it takes to get one single bill of legislation passed through Congress.
DeleteHow does the power of the prime minister compare with that of the U.S. president?
ReplyDeleteThe prime minister is chosen by the parliament, who are chosen by the people. The prime minister can be taken out of that seat at anytime by the parliament, if they aren't doing their job. The parliament and prime minister are from the same political party and that is the dominant governing party, therefore making it easier for the prime minister to get approval on any functions he wants to pass. His biggest opposition is the Queen, who is the true head of the state and she can always refuse the plan of the prime minister or parliament. There aren't the lobbyists and interest groups that influence the elections so though the citizens only choose for parliament, the prime minister is a product or result of that election. The president is chosen by the citizens of the U.S., along with the senate and congressional representatives. These are not always dominated by the same political party; this can make the job of the president more difficult if he is of a different party than the other branches. The opposition can make it quite difficult for the president to carry out functions when the majority of the congress or senate are not from the same party. Also, the president can only be removed from his seat by reason of treason, otherwise, he's in office until his 4 year term is up. Though the president's power is limited by the congress, he remains the first and foremost powerful officer of the government. His job is to represent the people of the United States and their best interest but interest groups and lobbyists seem to be at the front of that line.
•Is the British prime minister more powerful than the president of the United States, or vice versa? Is Parliament prime minister more powerful than Congress, or vice versa?
ReplyDeleteThe Prime Minister definitely has more power than the US President. Our President is limited by our Constitution, something in which Britain does not have. The Prime Minister can appoint/dismiss cabinet members whereas our President does not have the power to remove members of Congress, but the Senate can remove the President. PM can also determine the Cabinet's agenda's for business, terminate a government party and call for a general election, and even withhold information from the Houses of Parliament if deemed necessary. The PM's power has great affect on making policies such as budget, whereas Congress can reject a President's proposed budget, limiting the power of the President. The President resides in a system where Congress provides the checks and balances to power. The PM's power is combined of both legislative and executive powers. The PM's power is limited if they do lose the confidence of the cabinet. Since the PM fills the members of his Cabinet with who he chooses, he pretty much is making sure he selects those who will agree most with his policies making him even more powerful. US policies have to go through a very different process as Presidents can only sign off on what has already gone through two houses of Congress. While the President is seen as the most powerful person in the world, it is merely because of the nation he represents, not necessarily the personal power he holds himself.
I agree, prime minister posses more power comparing to the president. Passing legislature, with majority party vote of the parliament, is a clear sign of superior power comparing to a president. Prime minister is also the head of executive branch which gives him the power to execute those laws passed to get things done. President is only the head of executive branch which is a good and a bad thing. Checks and balances of US government are unmatched in democratic states throughout the world. But with hot topic issues like abortion, gun control, or same sex marriage can get politicized and each branch can prevent the other from passing decisive legislature into law.
DeleteGenerally a prime minister has more authority than the president.Prime ministers are elected out of the legislature and they are the head of the ruling party in a parliamentary system. The prime minister is classified as what is known as both the legislator and executor. This simply means that as long as they have majority rule in parliament, and considering the fact that the Prime minister is the leader of they majority party, they can pretty much decide anything they want.
DeleteHow does the power of the prime minister compare with that of the U.S. president?
ReplyDeleteWhile both are the executive heads of state of their respective governments, the powers of a prime minister are different when compared to the President of the United States. A Prime minister, is many senses, has much more authority (and by extension power) in policy as the legislature is by default both the majority party and the Prime Minister's party, so it is much easier to move policy through. As compared to a President, who is elected independently from congress, and has the possibility of not being able to push any policy if congress opposes him.
Other differences in power includes presidents have much more power over the judiciary in appointing judges, while prime ministers must appoint recommendations by the parliament. As well, a prime minister has direct constitutional checks and balances when compared to a president.
I agree with you view point on power. Even though the Prime Minister has more power when it comes to passing laws the US President also has his benefits to being in power. I will say that I believe the PM has more power because of the simple fact that he usually doesn't have to jump through hoops to get the laws passed that he wants. The president is also a little more limited when it comes to trying to pass laws because the house and senate decide on what laws are going to be voted on. Also the PM can relieve cabinet members of their positions if he believes they wont agree with his opinions.
DeleteHow does the power of the prime minister compare with that of the U.S. president?
ReplyDeleteWell there are some similarities. First of all, the president is head of the state. The prime minister is not, that duty belongs to the Queen. We know that the president is elected by electoral votes in the USA and that is not how it works with a prime minister. The prime minster picks people from the cabinet they come from and talks about situations with MP's. The prime minister can divide and get rid of whoever he'd like of his Mps. Prime ministers are picked by the queen. Being the president and being the prime minister would obviously both be really hard jobs. Although the president can't do anything he wants because of the congress and supreme court, I would say getting elected would be a better feeling in the USA and knowing that many people have your back because they voted for you to win the presidency would be reassurance and a confidence boost for the president. Not everyone is going to like the prime minister or president so they deal with a ton of pressure on a day to day basis.
How does the power of the prime minister compare with that of the U.S. president?
ReplyDeleteU.S. President is the head of executive branch but not of legislative branch. President does not have control over legislative branch because Congress is selected through separate vote. But president does have power to select a judge, with Senate approval, which could help influence judicial branch. With like-minded judges president could change the Constitution through Supreme Court. President is also the head of military.
Prime minister runs the executive and legislative branch, because prime minister is selected from the largest party in legislature, voted by citizens. Prime minister can pass legislature easily because he/she has the backing of the parliament. Prime minister is head of state and commands military, also prime minister can hire and fire cabinet members as well as police parliament members. Furthermore, prime minister has power to set general elections.
I believe the prime minister has more power than the U.S. president in terms of making things happen. The U.S. president is elected independently from senate and house members by a popular majority vote; therefore it is common to have many different agendas and conflicting ideals elected into office at the same time. The majority party in parliament selects the prime minister, which means the prime minister already has a favorable majority of officials when he takes office. To maintain his/her office the prime minister must work collaboratively with parliament to meet and maintain goals. The U.S. president on the other hand does not have to work together with our legislature and with different agendas in office it is common for key issues to standstill in our system.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Katherine. The prime minister has more leeway in make decisions and putting words into actions. The United States president is heavily bound by the constitution and members of various cabinets and courts (ex: Supreme Court) in the process of instigating an idea to help benefit the people, where the prime minister can "easily" promote and get support for a new law. The prime minister can also remain in office for as long as the people want, where as the president can only serve two 4 year terms.
DeleteI agree with this in that the prime minister definitely has more power than the president even though the people of the USA choose the president. He has to get laws signed off and he is far from in total control. The prime minister has a better advantage to getting things done that he wants for his country and he can make it happen with the people he works with. For example with the gun law obama hasn't been able to do much with that. Because the NRA won't speak with him.
DeleteGiven a choice between serving as the president of the United States or as the prime minister of Great Britain, which job would you prefer? Why?
ReplyDeleteI would choose being the Prime Minister. My biggest reason is because the prime minister can re-elect his cabinet if they do not agree with him, allowing him to pass laws easier. Another reason is that the Prime minister can stay in office as long as he is re-elected each time. The president of the United states just has to many barriers to over come to get their laws passed. They also don't get alot of say over the ones that are passed. Yeah they can veto it but it can just be passed again. So I would choose being The Prime Minister because they actually seem to have more say and power.
I agree with your position and took the same stance. Though the US President signs off on the new laws, he/she still has to go through a lot of red tape before anything could be done. For instance, we know that gun reform is a hot topic in the US right now. We know that guns probably won't go away forever, but you have too many politicians fighting to keep their guns and several fighting to take guns away instead of trying to meet at a middle ground. Sadly, the people of the US are the ones that suffer while the government can't seem to make a decision. The Prime Minister seems to be able to make more changes for the people, especially since he/she is responsible for the cabinet.
DeleteGiven a choice between serving as the president of the United States or as the prime minister of Great Britain, which job would you prefer? Why?
ReplyDeleteIf I had a choice, I think I would rather be the prime minister of Great Britain. Though both the president and the prime minister have similar responsibilities to their people, I feel that the prime minister would be a better position. There is not a definitive serving term for the prime minister unlike the 4 years of the president of the United States. I feel that as long as you work in the benefit of the people, the people are less likely to want you out of office. Also, the prime minister is responsible for the make up of their cabinet. Since there is a collective accountability for policies and actions, I think the prime minister would pay closer attention to the people placed in the cabinet. Often we see people of power bringing in family and friends to do a job, regardless of the qualifications. In this case, if we are all responsible for the policies and actions of the cabinet, choosing each member will be done wisely. The prime minister only has one party to lead unlike the US president. If the government is only controlled by one party, it may be easier to create new policies and laws for the benefit of the people especially since the government is ran by people with the same general ideas.
I answered this question and I also would choose to be prime minister versus president of the united states for some of the same reasons as you. the prime minister of Britain has to truly be a leader of the people, which is what the President strives to be. PM has to do things desired and wanted by the people because those same people are keeping him in office. Because the president is limited to a maximum of two, 4 year terms they become very limited in what can be accomplished in that time. Also fo the president he has a process tht has to be followed and he has to go through the courts and congress to get things he is pushing for approved and passed. Our leader has to move according to what the majority of the congress votes vs. the Prime minister only has to vote people into his cabinet that share similar views as he does. With that being said I agree that the prime minister pays more attention to the people. I could imagine that leading a government that is made up of all one party that agrees with your economic views would be much easier. I think for the president sometimes it is hard to find that "happy medium" that satisfies both parties, the people that will vote for you, and the people that help you decide on laws. There is no such thing as making everyone happy because of the many opposing views.
DeleteI think being Prime Minister would be harder, because of the things going on in the world, meaning wars, bombs and I know bombs happen every where, but it happens more in countries outside the USA, so who wants to deal with that. But I know our president would care about Americans who live or visit abroad. But then they also drive on the wrong side of the road. I think Tony Blair was the best prime Minister for Britain and I would do business with Britain, because actually that would be my vacation destination I would like to go to anyways, But Britain looks fun and also seeing Queen Elizabeth would be nice and seeing the palace, but knowing the Parliament government seems like its difficult to run, they look like strong people who stays on there stuff and doesnt allow anything to pass them. I watch BBC a lot and I seem them in session and it looks interesting, But I would like to visit 10 Downey Street and see how they run there military and how also they run there healthcare. Ine more thing I would like to see Big Ben also.
DeleteGiven a choice between serving as the president of the United States or as the prime minister of Great Britain, which job would you prefer? Why?
ReplyDeleteFor Centuries it has been a toss between which country “considerably” has it easier when it comes to the constitution rights and regulations in helping a nation develop in the eyes of another country. All forms of government are looked and viewed different according to the diplomatic oversight establish during the innovation of democracy. Some nations turn to a Prime Minister, while others issue a president. Some roles of the United States president is to carry out legislations, setting foreign policies into action, appoint key personnel, serve as commander-in –chief, present the State of Union, and Pardon felons. Some roles of the British Prime Minister is to be responsible for all decision/policies, appoint members of the cabinet, sit on multiple positions of the cabinet committee, serve as a liaison between monarchs and the government in order to keep the monarchs up to date on government business and includes recommending candidates to be appoint as House of Lord, represent the United Kingdom Internationally, and remains active in the House of commons (participating in debates and answering questions from member of MPs/formal statements). If given the choice of being Prime Minister of Britain the president of the United States I would turn in the direction of prime minister on account of the fact that the U.S. constitution and law is restrict by not one but multiple branches of government such as the Supreme court, which can and will outlaw any decision they don’t fully approve/support. The prime minister is given the opportunity to speak in terms for his country freely, while the U.S. president remains heavily restricted at all times.
Given a choice between serving as the president of the United States or as the prime minister of Great Britain, which job would you prefer? Why?
ReplyDeleteI know I may not get graded for this but I waned to answer any ways, because I like the question. But the reason I would want to be the President of the United States is because of the fact I am use to this country and some of its laws. The President lives in a beautiful home in Washington D.C. , just because I* picked to be President doesnt mean, I can do anything I want, because in reality I have some laws that I must follow as well, but first of all IO can fly in Air Force One and I dont have to wait on my flight and I have my everyday pilot. I can fly all over the world to meet the leaders of other countries and help my country get to gain more friends. I also can pick my team for my cabinet and I know I am a good team player and I love meeting new people. Being President, this is a good thing also because you can go to the games and sit with fans, but the only thing I wouldnt like is the secret service I wouldnt want people watching me all the time, but I would like to ride in the Presidential car, I would like to talk to the country like the State of the Union address that he makes every year. But the decisions he has to make are very critical and he has a lot of people lives in his hand. But when I go non vacation, I dont want to be questioned or followed and I know as President that is hard. Making war decision with my Secretary Of State and Vice president is also very important for us to work together and then I must stick to my guns and decision that I made. There are alot to going to be either President or Prime Minister, but I would surely try. Four Years of running country I think would be fun and stressful at the same time , but at my current situation there will be no First Lady though. But I also think that running the campaign would also be fun, because you must keep up with what you say and dont contradict yourself and watch who else is helping you run the whole campaign. I have alot of issues that I want to tackle anyways, I think people would like me as a President, because i am very fair and I would know how to work with both sides of the aisle.