Difference in the Prime Minister and President

Difference in the Prime Minister and President In the UK there is a parliamentary system, where government governs in and through parliament. The party that has a majority of seats in the legislature forms the executive arm of government, and hence there is a 'fusion of powers', as the executive is drawn from parliament. In contrast, in the Presidential system, the legislature and head of the executive are both elected separately, and there is a clear separation of powers. In comparing the executive, it is important to bear in mind that in the UK, many have labelled the system of government as an 'elective dictatorship'. This is because strong prime ministers with a large majority tend to dominate parliament. For example, after a full seven years before Blair lost a major vote in the House of Commons. The government can control parliament through a variety of mechanisms how they can dominate the Commons and thus find it easy to pass their proposed legislation. They can dominate the commons through party loyalty, whips, patronage. Halisham has described the UK system of parliamentary government as an 'elective dictatorship'. The parliament due to such a strong link with the Prime Minister and his party means that he experiences loyalty when he proposed legislation. It is easy for the prime minister to get his proposed legislation passed due to the party loyalty, whips,

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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JFK was one of the most successful and influential people to ever live. He had strong beliefs and never succumbed to pressure. Kennedys success was shown through his tough foreign and economic policies. JFK kept the USA as a world powerhouse an

English 110 March 18, 2009 JFK: The Epitome of Success "Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life." This quote was said by and embodied by a man who was very effective and smoothly functioning in life. This man was the late John F. Kennedy. JFK was one of the most successful and influential people to ever live. He had strong beliefs and never succumbed to pressure. Kennedy's success was shown through his tough foreign and economic policies. JFK kept the USA as a world powerhouse and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest presidents to ever live. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on Tuesday, May 29, 1917. He spent the first ten years of his life in Brookline until he moved with his family to Riverdale, Bronx. Two years after that he moved to a 21-room mansion on a six-acre estate in Bronxville, New York. JFK had a very sickly childhood dealing with appendicitis, colitis, and possible symptoms of leukemia. In September 1936 he enrolled as a freshman at Harvard College where he eventually graduated cum laude with a degree in international affairs. Kennedy then spent four years in the US Navy during World War II. Before his political career, JFK originally aspired to become a journalist. However, in 1946, Kennedy ran for a vacated U.S. Representative seat and beat his opponent by a large margin. On

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Why has reforming campaign finance been difficult?

Why has reforming campaign finance been difficult? I think that reforming campaign finance has been challenging due to the personal interests of politicians. This is because, firstly, that campaign finance regulates the activities and advertising power of a candidate or incumbent, and I doubt that any politician would pass reform hindering their own political race or allow their compatriots and party members to do so. In addition, I would suggest that reform has been difficult due to the domination of Congress at the hands of the Democrat and Republican parties, the two major players in America's two-party system. Firstly, I think that campaign finance reform has been tentative and difficult because of an unwillingness to pass it from the Republicans and Democrats. This is because the majority of reform proposals would limit the monetary lead that they currently have over other parties in Presidential Elections. This is why, I believe, that proposals for reform from pressure groups such as Clear Cause have been unsuccessful and their needs and requests have not been met. For example, in the most recent 2008 Presidential Election the Democrat nominee, Barack Obama, spent nearly $650 million on his campaign, opting out of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) public funding system. Obama's electoral rival, Republican nominee John McCain managed to raise $360

  • Word count: 847
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Doctrine of the separation of powers.

SEPARATION OF POWERS Although of great antiquity the modern basis for the doctrine of the separation of powers can be traced back to the writings of commentators such as John Locke, who in one of his books written in 1690 observed that "the three organs of government must not get in one hand." The doctrine was further examined by the French jurist Montesquieu who based his exposition on the British constitution of the early 18th Century. In simple terms the doctrine recognises three functions of government, namely legislative, executive and judicial. In its purest form the doctrine holds that each of these three functions should be vested in separate organs of government, with no overlap, as to concentrate more than one function in any one organ presents a threat to individual liberty. If the doctrine is followed the same persons should not form part of more than one organ. For example ministers should not sit in parliament. One organ should not exercise the functions of another. In the United States Constitution of 1787 separation of powers was clearly expressed. Each of the three primary constitutional functions was vested in a distinct organ. Legislative power was vested in Congress consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate, executive power was vested in the President and judicial power was vested in the Supreme Court and other federal courts as established by

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Overpaid and Underworked: Plight of the Canadian Senate

Overpaid and Under Worked The Plight of the Canadian Senate Chen Shu 00115919 November 6th 2007 Pol1119 - Prosperi When an architect designs a structure, one of the important questions that are posed before all others is "How useful is the structure?" An effective design is one that efficient and which every design and every structure carries with it, as sense of purpose. The founding fathers of Canada's political structure mimicked the parliamentary system with that specific purpose in mind, but what was written on the constitution and what is practiced today are complete polar opposites. The current day Canadian Senate operates with a minimal amount of practical power and serves as symbolic rubber stamp to all the policies that are initialized by the Cabinet and the House of Commons. In order to explore the need for Senate reform in Canada, it is relevant to compare it's utility with the neighboring Senate of United states on three interrelated dimensions: the powers they wield, the principles or statutes by which they are selected and the means they represent their constituencies. The comparison drawn between the two Senates should serve to note the need by Canadians who call for the Triple-E Senate reform. Effective When the Canadian founding fathers structured the design of Canada's national institution, they could not foresee the current lack of power

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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A Trend of Decentralization

Krista Slocum Per.5 A Trend of Decentralization Although Congress began as an entity of centralization, it has slowly taken a trend of strong decentralization. The intentions of the founders of Congress were concerned about excessive power in one branch as well as mob rule and on what basis congress was going to be represented. The solution to this was bicameral legislation that resulted in an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the House of Representatives. As this high efficiency, less participation program began to fall into place, a major change occurred in 1970 that dismembered this once centralized system. Factors leading to the decentralization of Congress include the division of powers through the committee systems, congress members focusing on reelection and their incessant attention catered toward constituents. "Members of Congress are not only faced with the daily dilemma of balancing reelection interests with their efforts at upward power mobility within Congress; their lives area also complicated by a cruel paradox, the ultimate incompatibility of widely dispersed power within Congress, on the other hand, and a strong role for Congress in national decision making, on the other."1 The committee system leads to specialization in areas of interest and expertise at the expense of a consistent set of goals and policies. In the year of 1970 a critical change

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Outline the differences between the electoral systems for the US Presidency, the US Senate and the House of Representatives

Outline the differences between the electoral systems for the US Presidency, the US Senate and the House of Representatives. What advantages did the framers of the constitution see in creating these differences? Do they continue to be advantageous or problematical in modern America? This essay will discuss the stated electoral systems, their purposes with regards to the framers of the constitution and their problems as three separate entities. As with any political system, problems with the issues of representation are inevitable. The problems of the electoral system in the US are clearly illustrated with the current Presidential elections but this will be discussed later in the essay. The concept of divided government and questions of popular mandate as well as the deviation from the original ideals and intentions of the constitution's framers will be discussed also. This essay will also explore the link between these three separate entities. Firstly, to tackle the issue of Presidential election. The population does not directly elect the presidency; an electoral college elects it. Each state plus the District of Columbia, has a number of members in the Electoral College equal to the number of congressmen and senators representing it. The President is voted for every four years and it is down to the individual states to decide how their Electoral College votes are

  • Word count: 2364
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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Cabinet Positions of the US Government

Cabinet Positions -The United States Department of Agriculture The Department of Agriculture, often called the USDA, is the government entity that is responsible for creating and executing all policies and regulations having anything to do with farming, food, and agriculture in general. Using its budget of 94 billion dollars, it aims to help farmers and ranchers, promote trade of agricultural products, assure safety of food and protect natural resources. One of the most important day to day jobs of the department of agriculture is the inspecting of meat, vegetables, fruit etc. which is marked for consumer use. -The United States Department of Commerce The Department of Commerce is a small but important department of the cabinet. The main concern of the Department of Commerce is to promote economic growth and prevent economic stagnation. To do this, it ensures that new jobs are being created, living standards are improving and that there is sufficient infrastructure in the American capitalistic system to promote growth of the American economy. This department was originally part of a larger department, The United States Department of Commerce and Labor which obviously included the current Department of Labor. The Department of Commerce also contains the recognizable Bureau of the Census and NOAA, or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for some reason. -United

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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"Presidents Have Only The Power To Persuade" Discuss

"Presidents have only the power to persuade" Discuss Firstly, I will say that in this answer, I will be looking at the overall 'office' of the Presidency, as opposed to looking at the personality of individual Presidents. The traditional view of the Presidency is that of the 'imperilled Presidency', as described by former President Gerald Ford, in contrast to Arthur Schlesinger's idea of an 'imperial Presidency'. The 'imperilled Presidency' idea describes a Presidency in which the President does not have enough power to be truly effective, and we see Presidents attempting to go beyond their constitutional powers. Richard Neustadt challenged this idea by saying that "Presidential power is the power to persuade, and the power to persuade is the power to bargain." In more simple terms, this means that the ultimate power of the President is to persuade people that his opinions are in their best interests. However, I would like to prove that it really depends on the situation to how the President chooses to use his power, and under certain circumstances the Presidents power of persuasion will be most successful. Firstly, I will look at the Constitutional powers given to the President. The Founding Fathers created the constitution in an attempt to prevent a tyrannical rule, like the British. The Constitution therefore would ensure that no one particular Government Branch could

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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In today's society, a debate over the legalization of marijuana has been on going.

A pro marijuana web page stated "Fewer than 2 percent of drug-related emergency room visits involved the use of marijuana alone in the year 1994". Are the correct in saying it is safe, not according to anti marijuana groups. In today's society, a debate over the legalization of marijuana has been on going. Two divisions have been fighting on this issue on the halls of justice for years: one those who are pro marijuana and those who are anti marijuana. Pro marijuana legalization groups such as the Physician's Association for AIDS Care, National Lymphoma Foundation argue marijuana legalization in order to treat terminally ill patients. Among them are AIDS victims who find that marijuana stimulates their appetites so they can fight off dangerous emaciation; glaucoma sufferers who have used marijuana said it has prevented them from going blind. Cancer patients, for whom it alleviates the severe nausea that is often accompanies chemotherapy and sometimes makes lifesaving treatment impossible. Lobbying groups show substantial evidence, that marijuana is an effective prescribed drug. Also, many advocates complain that very dangerous drugs like morphine and cocaine are legal. That brings up the question: why not legalize marijuana as medical drug, which is proven to be less dangerous than cocaine and morphine? Lobbying groups in a San Diego, California and the council

  • Word count: 798
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Politics
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