PRIME MINISTERS AND PRESIDENTS WHO IS MORE POWERFUL?

Prime Ministers and Presidents -- Differences selection selection powers powers tenure tenure relationship with legislature relationship with legislature relationship with bureaucracy relationship with bureaucracy

Prime Ministers and Presidents -- Selection Prime Minister Prime Minister leader of party that controls a majority of seats in the House of Commons leader of party that controls a majority of seats in the House of Commons implications? implications?

Prime Ministers and Presidents -- Selection Prime Minister Prime Minister – no direct “mandate” from the people – implications? can be PM without being elected PM can be PM without being elected PM PM can be forced out of office by internal challenger PM can be forced out of office by internal challenger PM can be shielded by party from low personal popularity PM can be shielded by party from low personal popularity

Prime Ministers and Presidents -- Selection Prime Minister Prime Minister President President primaries primaries election election

Formal Roles of the President Chief Political Executive Chief Political Executive Head of State Head of State Commander in Chief Commander in Chief

Prime Ministers and Presidents – Formal Powers President President Prime Minister Prime Minister – chief political executive – NOT Head of State – NOT Commander in Chief

Prime Ministers and Presidents -- Tenure President President – fixed term elections – term limits (22 nd Amendment – 1951) – implications guaranteed 4 year tenure guaranteed 4 year tenure can’t pick and choose election timing can’t pick and choose election timing freed from concern of re-election in second term freed from concern of re-election in second term “lame duck” presidents “lame duck” presidents

Prime Ministers and Presidents -- Tenure President President Prime Minister Prime Minister – maximum time limit on Parliament (5 years) – chooses timing of election (or forced into election)

Prime Ministers and Presidents – Relationship with Legislature Prime Minister Prime Minister – under majority – virtually absolute control over legislature President... President...

Legislates, Controls Budget, Approves Nominations and Treaties, Override Veto, Impeach Confirms Nominations, Impeach Nominates Judges VETO! Declare Laws Unconstitutional Declare Acts Unconstitutional

Congress and the President United vs. Divided Government United vs. Divided Government – frequency and causes of divided government – effects of divided government

Prime Ministers and Presidents – Relationship with Bureaucracy chain of command/accountability chain of command/accountability – Canada hierarchical hierarchical directly to the PM directly to the PM – United States divided control divided control

Chain of Accountability Department Minister Parliament Prime Minister

Legislation, Appropriation, Oversight Executive Appointments Presidential Directives,

Prime Ministers and Presidents – Relationship with Bureaucracy power of appointment power of appointment – President top 3000 bureaucratic appointments are political appointees of the President top 3000 bureaucratic appointments are political appointees of the President – Prime Minister upper levels of the Canadian bureaucracy are career civil servants upper levels of the Canadian bureaucracy are career civil servants limited scope for Prime Ministerial appointments limited scope for Prime Ministerial appointments

Prime Ministers and Presidents – Relationship with Bureaucracy power of appointment power of appointment implications? implications? – President their own people in powerful bureaucratic positions their own people in powerful bureaucratic positions limited by the quality and experience of those appointees limited by the quality and experience of those appointees senior civil service exposed to popular political influences senior civil service exposed to popular political influences – Prime Minister career civil servants in most powerful bureaucratic positions career civil servants in most powerful bureaucratic positions PM gets benefit of high quality and highly experienced civil servants PM gets benefit of high quality and highly experienced civil servants senior civil service insulated from popular political influences senior civil service insulated from popular political influences