POSC 1000 Introduction to Politics

Formal Political Institutions

Russell Alan Williams

Unit Five: Formal Political Institutions“Presidential Systems”

Required Reading:MacLean and Wood, Chapter 5.

Outline:1. Introduction 2. Presidential Systems

1. Legislative Institutions2. Executive Institutions

3. Hybrid Systems - France4. Conclusions

1) Introduction – Presidential Systems:First developed in U.S.

Context: Response to royal authority=Need to limit the power of any branch of government

“Separation of Powers”:Division of power amongst several branches of government to avoid a concentration of power.

E.g. “Checks and balances” = No “executive dominance”

However . . . . Also a need for state strong enough to fight off British etc.

=Need for clear leader

Framers of constitution thought about a “constitutional monarchy”, but . . ->

Opted for a “President” to head executive and armed forces – chosen by “electoral college”

Implication: Negotiation and compromise needed between branches of gov to get things done

=Modern complaints about “political gridlock”:Lack of political progress because of partisanship and differing opinions

2) Presidential Systems:A) Legislative Institutions:

“Congress”: Legislative branch of American governmentSame as Parliament“Bicameral” – upper and lower houses

i) “House of Representatives”: Lower house “Congressmen” elected for two year terms from a local “congressional district”Electoral districts each have over ½ million voters

• Allocated based on populationE.g. -> California = 53 congressmen

-> Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota,

South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming

= 1 congressman

“Senate”: Upper house“Senators” elected to six year termsTwo for each state (!)Only 1/3 of senators face election in each 2 year election cycle – better deal than congressmen(!)

• 2008 election

Must be over 30 years of age

Organization of Congress:

Both houses have own “officers”:House of Representatives = Speaker of the House (majority party leader)

Senate = Vice PresidentPresident Pro tempore

Committee Chairs (from majority party)

Floor leadersMajority leader Minority leader

Functions of Congress:

A) Responsible for passing all legislation and budgets

Can initiate own legislation - Either house . . . requires coordination

Can also support or defeat presidential proposals - E.g. the budget, or declaration of war etc.=High level of independence

– President cannot call an election if bills are being defeated

– Congress cannot “defeat” the President’s cabinet

Result: Most activity requires compromise or “Political gridlock”

E.g. Budgets and “log rolling”

Functions of Congress:

B) Oversight power

Can conduct investigations into executive activities ->E.g. conduct of war in Iraq

Hold hearings

Ratify presidential appointees -> Supreme Court Justices, Ambassadors, etc.

• Not a formality! E.g. George Bush Sr. . . .–Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill

Behavior of Congress:

Independence – Congress often pursues policy irrespective of who is president

Weak ”Party discipline” ?????Committee chairs often very independentMembers “vote their own conscience”

Problems:Influence of money on individual members

E.g. . . . .

Table 3. Top 25 dual contributors of soft money ($), 2000 election cycle

Contributor Democratic Republican Total

Service Employees Intl Union (SEIU) 5,090,696 30,000 5,120,696

AT&T 1,457,469 2,302,451 3,759,920

AOL Time Warner 1,425,637 1,139,861 2,565,498

Freddie Mac 1,025,000 1,383,250 2,408,250

Philip Morris Cos Inc 296,663 2,098,922 2,395,585

Enron Corp 607,565 1,433,850 2,041,415

Thompson Medical Co Inc 1,882,000 20,000 1,902,000

Citigroup Inc 641,204 758,616 1,399,820

American Financial Group 622,000 685,000 1,307,000

MBNA Corp 200,000 1,035,905 1,235,905

BP Amoco 295,376 920,900 1,216,276

Source Common Cause (2001); Cited as FEC statistics.

Behavior of Congress:

Other Problems:• Accountability of parties to voters

– What does the party label mean?

• President cannot always rely on his own party

E.g. Obama and democratic congressional congress

Presidential Systems Cont.

B) Executive Institutions:

Presidency:

=Head of State

=Head of GovernmentPresident’s cabinet manages the executive branch of government

Budgets and administration• A.K.A. “the decider”

Presidential power:

“Commander and Chief” of military forces

Appoints Supreme Court judges, Ambassadors and cabinet ministers

• Subject to congressional oversight . . . .

Can effectively decide to go to war or not . . . .• E.g. “Gulf of Tonkin Incidents” (1964)

=Vietnam War

Presidential power cont. . . . .

“Veto”: Act of blocking a decision – In U.S. = the Presidential power to prevent enactment of legislation

• Congressional bills can be blocked if president does not like them

• E.g. “Stem Cell Research” Bush Vetoed 2X

• However:– Veto can be overridden

by 2/3 votes in congress– Congress can retaliate

by not passing budget or putting “riders” in presidential legislation

Presidential System

“Separation of Powers”: Presidents may often have less power than prime ministers in parliamentary system – this was the intention!

• However, this can lead to “political gridlock” if parties are ideologically divided and control different branches of government.

3) Hybrid Systems:

“Semi-Presidential Systems”: A system in which an elected President shares power with an elected Prime Minster and Cabinet

Prime minister and cabinet elected from legislatureBorrows “best” of both systemsIn practice can result in very different dynamics . . . .

Example = France

Legislative institutions:

Parliament: Bicameral - Makes legislation and passes budget

National Assembly = House of Commons• 577 “Deputies” elected in majoritarian system

– Runoff ballot of leading candidates

• Has often failed to produce parliamentary majorities

Senate = Indirectly elected (powers are limited)• Chosen by local governments

Executive Institutions:

President = elected (through a majoritarian “runoff” electoral system)

President has always received at least 50% of votesGets five year term and can run again and again . . . .

President selects Prime Minster from National Assembly

• Prime Minster selects cabinet = Government• Should be leader of most popular party

– PM’s cabinet must enjoy the support of the legislature

– Cabinet can be defeated-Result: President must select a new PM

Implications in practice:

France has:

Elected head of stateSome “separation of powers”Some “fusion of powers”

Neither President or Prime Minister has power of Canadian PM . . . .

Implications in practice:

France has:

Elected head of stateSome “separation of powers”Some “fusion of powers”

Neither President or Prime Minister has power of Canadian PM . . . .

Governing may require American-style negotiation

• Depends on the “Party System”!

When President’s party controls legislature (National Assembly), the president has considerable power

E.g. Prime Minster effectively works for the president

When President’s party does not control the National Assembly . . . things more complicated

If President’s party does not have majority = negotiation and compromise with other parties

If another party has majority = “Cohabitation”: Sharing of power between French

President and Prime Ministers of different parties– E.g. Francois Mitterrand and

his conservative Prime Ministers . . . .

4) Conclusions on Presidential Systems:

Pure presidential systems relatively common and seem to be successful

Fewer demands for major institutional change in presidential systems than in parliamentary systems

Hybrid systems that incorporate parliamentary government have encountered difficulty

Often presidents end up abusing powers to overcome “gridlock”Institutions are more unstable = less “legitimacy”

• E.g. Russia – Vladimir Putin

For next time:Midterm Exam – Covers all of Units 1 –

5.

Focus on learning the “key” terms