Chief Executives

1
Chief Executives

• In Democracies

2
Becoming chief executive

• Historically, four methods
• Ascription. Leaders have certain characteristics
  associated with birth right. Includes hereditary
  monarchs ethnic tribal chieftains.

3
Becoming chief executive

• Appointment. Leader chosen by political party,
  tribal elders, or another elite group.

4
Becoming chief executive

• Force. Leader seizes power through a coup or
  revolution.

5
Becoming chief executive

• Democratic Election. Leaders are chosen through
  some mechanism involving popular choice.

6
Types of democratic leadership

• Presidential
• Parliamentary
• Hybrid dual executive

7
Types of democratic leadership

• Main differences
• Core functions
• Inclusion or exclusion from legislature
• Election and removal process
• Set terms
• Legislative success rate

8
Presidential system

• President is both head of state and head of
  government
• Chosen in a national election
• Shares some powers with legislature, but also has
  specified powers and high degree of autonomy (as
  do legislators).
• Serves a fixed term of office

9
Presidential system U.S.

• Branches considered coequal. Legislators cannot
  remove president (except thru difficult
  impeachment process), and president cannot remove
  legislators.
• System of separation of powers (actually, some
  shared powers).

10
Presidential system

• Very rare among democracies.
• Other than U.S., presidential systems found in
  Mexico, Latin America and some African states,
  although many of these regimes impose fewer legal
  limits and checks on presidential power.

11
Presidential system Mexico

• Presidency powerful called a 6-year monarchy
  by critics.
• President Vincente Fox since Dec. 2000.
• Bicameral
• Legislature
• Senate
• Chamber of Deputies

12
Parliamentary system

• Chief executive is a member of parliament (MP),
  head of the majority party. Called prime
  minister (PM) or premier.
• PM governs through the Cabinet. Cabinet ministers
  are also MPs they administer the government
  agencies.

13
Parliamentary system

• Elected by other members of majority party in
  parliament.
• While there are set terms, members of parliament
  can vote no confidence force early elections
  
• or PM may seek early elections if he/she
  especially popular.

14
Parliamentary system

• System much more common than presidential. Of
  the 121 electoral democracies in 2004, 56 are
  parliamentary.
• The oldest is Britain.
• Example of others
• Canada, Australia, Greece, Italy, Japan, India,
  Israel, Spain, Scandinavian states, Thailand

15
Parliamentary system

• Prime ministers generally chosen by the lower
  house of parliament. This chamber represents the
  population.
• British
• Commons

16
Parliamentary system

• A fusion of powers between legislative and
  executive, not a separation of powers.
• PM as head of majority party generally has
  greater success getting agenda passed than a
  president does.

17
British Government

• The United Kingdom composed of
• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland
• The last three have their own parliaments prime
  ministers as well, and send representatives to
  the British Parliament in London.

18
British Government

• Prime minister is head of government, but Queen
  Elizabeth is ceremonial head of state.
• PM Tony Blair of
• the Labour Party
• (since 1997) outside
• 10 Downing St.

19
British Government

• Prime ministers term is 5 years, unless earlier
  elections are called, in which case all MPs must
  run for reelection.
• In 1980s, for example, PM Margaret Thatcher
  called for early elections after British victory
  in Falkland Island war with Argentina. Her
  popularity high.

20
British Government

• Election process very short (a matter of weeks),
  as opposed to U.S. (more than one year). Also no
  transition time.
• For these reasons, in the Commons, the opposition
  party organized so it can step into office
  immediately if an election is called and
  government loses. Called the shadow government.

21
Constitutional Monarchies

• In some parliamentary systems, monarchs serve as
  heads of state, but have no real power. Power
  remains with the democratic institutions.
• Examples Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands,
  Denmark, Leichtenstein, Japan, Britain

22
Constitutional Monarchies Britain

• The prime minister is formally named by Queen
  Elizabeth, but the appointment reflects the
  popular majority in House of Commons.
• Cheerio!

23
Constitutional MonarchiesJapan

• Prime minister
• Junichiro
• Koizumi
• Emperor Akihito
• Empress Michiko
• Symbol of Japan.
• Extensive formal
• powers but no
• real powers since end
• of WWII.

24
Hybrid systems

• Half of the worlds democracies use hybrid or
  dual systems, with both a president (head of
  state) and a prime minister (head of government).
  Both positions have distinct powers, unlike
  constitutional monarchies.

25
Hybrid system France

• President elected nationwide for a 5 year term.
  Appoints the PM (who must be head of majority
  party in National Assembly).
• President preeminent presides over Cabinet,
  concludes treaties and commands armed forces.
• Prime Minister oversees civil service armed
  forces.

26
Hybrid system France

• President
• Jacques Chirac
• Premier
• Dominique
• De Villepin
• Presidency dominant

27
Hybrid system Germany

• President and chancellor are dual executives,
  although chancellor more powerful.
• Chancellor responsible for all government
  policies.
• President appoints and dismisses cabinet members
  but only on chancellors recommendation.

28
Hybrid system Germany

• New chancellor
• Angela Merkel,
• 1st woman and
• 1st from former
• Communist East.
• Merkel is a former professor of physical
  chemistry. Now head of a coalition government of
  Christian Democrats Social Democrats.

29
Hybrid system Russia

• Dual executive with a powerful president
  currently Vladimir Putin. Prime minister
  appointed by the president with consent of the
  lower legislative house (the Duma).
• Presidency dominant

30
Hybrid system Russia

• President
• Putin
• Putin has been further centralizing executive
  control since Beslan school massacre in 2004
  resulted in 330 deaths (more than half children).

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Co-habitation?

• Political problem that occurs when one party wins
  the presidency and another party wins the
  majority of seats in parliament names the prime
  minister.
• Happened in France in 1990s with a socialist
  prime minister and conservative president.

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Reminders

• 3rd Exam question given out on Wednesday in
  class. Copies posted on my office door (Breland
  345) if you miss class.
• Exam given in class Wed., No. 9. Blue book
  required.
• No class next Monday, Nov. 7. Work on essay.