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Chief Executives

Chief Executives. In Democracies. Becoming the political leader. Historically, four methods: Ascription . Leaders have certain characteristics associated with birth right. Includes hereditary monarchs & ethnic tribal chieftains. Becoming the political leader.

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Chief Executives

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  1. Chief Executives In Democracies

  2. Becoming the political leader Historically, four methods: • Ascription. Leaders have certain characteristics associated with birth right. Includes hereditary monarchs & ethnic tribal chieftains.

  3. Becoming the political leader • Appointment. Leader chosen by religious institution, tribal elders, political party, or another elite group.

  4. Becoming the political leader • Force. Leader seizes power through a coup or revolution.

  5. Becoming the political leader • Democratic Election. Leaders are chosen through some mechanism involving popular choice.

  6. Types of democratic leadership • Presidential • Parliamentary • Hybrid – dual executive

  7. Main differences between parliamentary & presidential chief executives • Core functions • Inclusion or exclusion from legislature • Election and removal process • Terms of office • 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 unique powers and high degree of autonomy. • Serves a fixed term of office

  9. 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 impose few checks on presidential power.

  10. Presidential system: U.S. • President serves a 4-year term, with possible reelection. • Presidential roles: • Chief executive • Chief of state (symbolic head) • Commander-in-Chief of military • Chief diplomat • Legislative role • Head of political party

  11. Presidential system: U.S. • Branches coequal with distinct powers, terms of office, & constituencies. Separated & shared powers. • Legislators cannot remove president (except by difficult impeachment), & president cannot remove legislators. • Courts oversee both branches.

  12. Presidential system: Mexico • Presidency powerful: called “a 6-year monarchy” by critics. • President Vincente Fox since Dec. 2000. • Bicameral Legislature: • Senate • Chamber of Deputies

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 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

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

  17. Parliamentary lower chamber Examples: Britain: House of Commons Germany: Bundestag France: National Assembly Russia: Duma Japan: Diet

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  21. British Government • Prime minister’s 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. Took advantage of her high popularity to win reelection.

  22. 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.

  23. 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

  24. Constitutional Monarchies: Britain • The prime minister is formally named by Queen Elizabeth, but the appointment reflects the popular majority in House of Commons. “Cheerio!”

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

  26. Hybrid systems Half of the world’s 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.

  27. 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.

  28. Hybrid system: France President Jacques Chirac Premier Dominique De Villepin Presidency dominant

  29. 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 chancellor’s recommendation.

  30. Hybrid system: Germany Current chancellor Angela Merkel, 1st woman & 1st Chancellor from former Communist East. Merkel is a former professor of physical chemistry. Now head of a coalition government of Christian Democrats & Social Democrats.

  31. 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

  32. Hybrid system: Russia President Putin Putin has been further centralizing executive control since Beslan school massacre in 2004 resulted in 330 deaths (many children). Questions about how democratic regime is now.

  33. 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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