President or Prime Minister?
President or Prime Minister?
U.S. President Z. Taylor Russian President V. Pu9n
President or Prime Minister
President or Prime Minister
UK prime ministers Sir G. Kneller and David Cameron
President or Prime Minister?
President or Prime Minister?
Prime Minister Theresa May President of France Emmanuel Macron
President or Prime Minister?
President or Prime Minister?
US Presidents John Quincy Adams and John Tyler
The Execu9ve and the Legislature:
Presiden9al or Parliamentary?
Branches of Government
• In the United States our government is formed like a tree.
• There are branches that develop to iden9fy the different jobs the government is responsible for carrying out.
Legisla9ve branch
• The Legisla.ve branch of government is responsible for making the laws for a country, state or town.
Legisla9ve branch
• In the US, our na9onal lawmaking body is the Congress. In the United Kingdom their legisla9ve branch is the Parliament.
Execu9ve Branch
• The Execu.ve branch is responsible for carrying out or enforcing the laws.
• The head of the Execu9ve branch is considered the head of the country.
Judicial Branch
• The judicial branch is set up in a country to have courts interpret the laws and seTle disputes.
How Do They Work Together?
• Depending on the country, governments may be either set up as presiden.al , parliamentary or a combina9on of both forms
• One type separates the branches while the other combines them.
Presiden9al Government
• The United States has the presiden(al form of government.
• This form of government is based on a separa.on of powers.
Presiden9al Government
• The execu.ve branch of government is kept completely separate from the legisla.ve branch.
Presiden9al Restric9ons
• The President is elected by voters.
• The members of the legislature are also elected.
• Usually the President and legislators are elected for fixed terms.
Presiden9al Restric9ons
• The President and all government officials appointed by the President, are prohibited from serving in the legislature while serving in the execu9ve branch.
Opposi9on
• If the President’s party is not the majority party in Congress, a “divided government” occurs.
• The execu9ve and legisla9ve branches come under the control of opposing par9es.
Opposi9on
• This makes it hard to pass legisla9on or to take other ac9ons. Each branch checks the other.
Whom else?
• In addi9on to the United States, other countries with the presiden9al system of government include Argen9na, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and South Korea.
President Enrique Peña Nieto
1. What do you know…?
• What type of government does the United States have?
• A. cons9tu9onal monarchy
• B. Presiden9al • C. direct democracy • D. autocracy
What do you know…?
• What type of government does the United States have?
• B. Presiden.al
2. What do you know…?
• True or False: • The President serves for a specific number of years.
What do you know…?
• True or False: • The President serves for a specific number of years.
• TRUE
3. What do you Know…?
• True or False: • Even if the President’s party is not the majority party in Congress, it is s9ll easy to pass legisla9on or to take other ac9ons
What do you Know…?
• True or False: • Even if the President’s party is not the majority party in Congress, it is s9ll easy to pass legisla9on or to take other ac9ons
• FALSE
4. What do you know…?
• Besides the United States, which of these countries has a presiden9al system of government?
• A. United Kingdom • B. South Korea • C. Belgium • D. Oman
President Enrique Peña Nieto
What do you know…?
• Besides the United States, which of these countries has a presiden9al system of government?
• • B. South Korea •
President Enrique Peña Nieto
Parliamentary Government
• In a parliamentary government, there is no direct elec9on of the execu9ve branch by voters.
• Voters only elect the members of parliament (the legislature)
Parliamentary Government • Then the members of
parliament elect the head of the execu9ve branch—known as the “prime minister.”
• The prime minister in turn selects other members of parliament to head execu9ve departments and to serve on the cabinet.
Branches overlap
• In this system of government, members of the majority party in the legislature are placed in charge of the execu.ve branch.
Branches overlap
• Since they also remain in the legislature, these ministers are available to explain their policies and to answer ques9ons to other legislators at any 9me.
Prime Minister
• A prime minister does not usually serve for a fixed term of office. A prime minister serves for as long as he or she has the confidence of parliament.
Prime Minister
• If a member of parliament believes the prime minister no longer has the support of parliament, the member calls for a “vote of no confidence.” If the prime minister loses the vote, the prime minister and the cabinet officers must resign their offices.
Working together • Because the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in Parliament, there is never any divided government in which the execu9ve and legisla9ve branches are controlled by different par9es.
Working together • Passage of legisla9on is easier because the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in parliament and they share his views.
In the UK…
• The United Kingdom has a parliamentary form of government.
• During a general elec9on, voters elect the members of the House of Commons (the lower house of Parliament).
In the summer of 2017 no party had a majority but the Conserva9ve party joined with the DUP, formed a coali9on and stayed in power.
In the UK…
• These members then choose the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons as Prime Minister.
• If no party has a majority, then several par9es will act together in a coali.on government.
In the summer of 2017 no party had a majority but the Conserva9ve party joined with the DUP, formed a coali9on and stayed in power.
Staying in power
• The Bri9sh Prime Minister then chooses other members to act as cabinet ministers.
• The Prime Minister and cabinet remain in office un9l they resign, lose “a vote of no confidence,” or lose in a general elec9on.
How long are you staying • Members of Parliament
hold their seats un9l the Prime Minister calls another general elec9on.
• These are held at least once every five years, but can be more ojen.
• In a general elec9on, every seat in the House of Commons is up for elec9on at once.
Whom else ?
• Other countries with parliamentary systems include Bangladesh, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey
5. What do you know…?
• In a parliamentary government who chooses the Prime Minister?
• A. the people • B. the monarch • C. the Parliament • D. The electoral college
5. What do you know…?
• In a parliamentary government who chooses the Prime Minister?
• C. the Parliament
6. What do you know…? • What two groups’ powers
overlap in a Parliamentary system?
• A. judicial and legisla9ve • B. execu9ve and judicial • C. Legisla9ve and execu9ve • D. Judicial and parliamentary
What do you know…?
• What two groups’ powers overlap in a Parliamentary system?
• C. Legisla9ve and execu9ve
7. What do you know…? • True or false • The passage of legisla9on is easier because the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in parliament and they share his views.
What do you know…? • True or false • The passage of legisla9on is easier because the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in parliament and they share his views.
• TRUE
8. What do you know…?
• True or False The Prime Minister and cabinet remain in office for 5 years.
What do you know…?
• True or False The Prime Minister and cabinet remain in office for 5 years. False They remain in office un9l they resign, lose “a vote of no confidence,” or lose in a general elec9on.
9. What do you know…?
• When elec9ons for Parliament are held, what percentage of seats are up for elec9on?
• A. 25% • B. 50% • C. 75% • D. 100%
What do you know…?
• When elec9ons for Parliament are held, what percentage of seats are up for elec9on?
• D. 100%
10. What do you know…?
• Which of these countries has a parliamentary government?
• A. Brazil • B. Argen9na • C. Turkey • D. United States
What do you know…?
• Which of these countries has a parliamentary government?
• C. Turkey
The Combo deal
• A few countries have tried to combine the parliamentary and presiden9al forms of government.
• France, for example, has both an elected president and an appointed prime minister.
The Combo deal
• • The President serves for a period of five years. The President appoints the Prime Minister from the majority party in the French legislature—the Na9onal Assembly.
Two Heads
• The French President and Prime Minister share the du9es of government.
• If the Prime Minister loses control of the Na9onal Assembly, the French President must appoint a new Prime Minister from the new majority party.
Whom Else?
• Other countries with both a President and Prime Minister include Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Peru, Russia and Uganda.
11. What do you know…?
• In a government with both a president and a Prime minister, who decides who the Prime Minister will be?
• A. the voters • B. the Parliament • C. The President • D. The Na9onal Assembly
What do you know…?
• In a government with both a president and a Prime minister, who decides who the Prime Minister will be?
• C. The President
12. What do you know…? • France has a government
with both a president and a Prime minister, How long does the President serve?
• A. 4 years • B. 5 years • C. Indefinitely • D. Un9l the President
loses a majority support in Parliament
What do you know…?
• France has a government with both a president and a Prime minister, How long does the President serve?
• B. 5 years
13. What do you know…?
• Which of these countries has both a President and Prime Minister?
• A. United Kingdom • B. Brazil • C. Russia • D. United States
What do you know…?
• Which of these countries has both a President and Prime Minister?
• C. Russia