The Executive - Notes (Governments & Politics of Western Europe)

What percent of British citizens favor the constitutional monarchy and what percent want a republic?

76% favor constitutional monarchy while 17% want a republic.

What is a separation-of-powers regime?

A regime in which the branches are constitutionally separated, and the executive branch cannot dismiss legislature and vice versa.

In what Western European countries are there directly elected presidents?

Austria, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, and France.

Why is there usually a second round of voting in European presidential elections?

Because in order to win the presidency, a candidate must win at least 50% + 1 vote to become president, and if not, they go to a run-off between the two highest vote-getters.

Why was the election important, even if the president of Austria is largely a ceremonial role?

Because the far-right candidate would be the first far-right president and representation of a European country since WWII.

What countries still have monarchs as the head of state?

Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.

Who is the executive?

By definition, it is the one who rules the country.

What are the procedural roles of the head of state in a parliamentary system?

Calling parliament into session, give roles to members of parliament to for a government (who is from the largest party typically, and if successful that person usually becomes the prime minister), are the final ratification for laws, and some can dissolve government but traditionally do not.

What two countries used to be considered semi-presidential systems but are now parliamentary?

Finland and Poland.

What was the timeline of the 2016 Austrian presidential election?

First round was in April 2016, second round run-off in May 2016, and the rerun was in December 2016.

What is the only Western European state that is not a parliamentary system. Instead, what system does this country use?

France, who uses a semi-presidential system.

In what Western European countries is the president indirectly elected?

Germany and Italy

What are the prime minister and cabinet called in fusion-of-powers regimes?

Government

Is the president in a parliamentary system directly or indirectly elected?

He can be directly elected by the people or indirectly elected in that he is appointed by the parliament.

As a balance to the legislature's power to dismiss the executive through a vote of no confidence, what may a prime minister do?

He can dissolve the legislature and call for early elections whenever he wants.

In what ways is the Prime Minister powerful?

He has power in that he is the most important actor of the executive, he's the leader of his/her party, the head of government, can resolve legislature, and has agenda-setting powers.

What is a disadvantage of an indirectly elected president?

He is seen as less legitimate due to not being directly elected.

How weak are the powers of the Irish president?

He is so weak that he can't even leave the country without parliamentary approval.

What was Van der Bellen's nickname and why?

He was called the professor because he used to be an economics professor.

How is the president elected in a semi-presidential system?

He/she is directly elected.

How is the executive elected in a fusion-of-powers government?

He/she is indirectly elected, and they must receive explicit or tacit approval of the legislature before taking office.

What were the main campaign issues in Austria for the election and why?

Immigration and the EU because, as a far-right candidate, Hofer had very strict opinions on immigration and because people were worried about their stance in the EU and Hofer was rumored to want to leave the EU if elected (or push for it at least).

Under what circumstance may the legislature dismiss the executive in a separation-of-powers regime?

In extraneous circumstances, the legislature may dismiss the executive through impeachment procedures.

What is the difference between the relationships between the executive and the legislature in fusion-of-powers regimes from separation-of-powers regimes?

In fusion of powers regimes, the executive is responsible to the legislature and must retain the confidence of the legislature. In this way, the legislature can bring down the government with enough support.

Who were the candidates in the run-off election for Austria in 2016?

Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party and Alexander van der Bellen who ran as independent, but was formerly the leader of the green party.

When are no confidence motions taken, who usually takes them, and how often do they pass?

Passed rarely, no confidence motions are called by opposition parties when they are no longer confident in the prime minister's leadership, and if the motion passes then the government must dissolve.

How is it still considered democratic that the prime minister is appointed by the legislature rather than directly elected by the people?

Since people vote for parliament, who in turn chooses the prime minister from the largest party, the people, in this sense, have a say in who becomes prime minister.

What is different about the head of state in presidential systems and parliamentary systems?

The head of state in presidential systems is the president, while the head of state in parliamentary systems is the monarch or the president. However, the role is largely ceremonial.

Who usually chooses who becomes the prime minister, and who usually becomes the prime minister?

The largest party selected in parliamentary elections chooses who becomes the prime minister, and that person is usually the leader of their party.

Who is currently the prime minister of Austria?

The leader of the Christian Democrat party (OVP).

How long is the Austrian presidential term?

The limit is two, six year terms.

Who is the chief executive in a separation-of-powers regime?

The president

What is the major difference between a presidential system and a parliamentary system?

The president is the executive in a presidential system, like the U.S., and the Prime Minister is the executive in a parliamentary system.

How does the prime ministerial and presidential positions work together?

The prime minister, his cabinet, and the president coexist.

Who is the chief executive in a fusion-of-powers regime?

The prime minister/chancellor

What were the ruling parties in parliament before the parliamentary elections that occurred in October of 2016. How did it change?

The ruling government was SPO and OVP, but the new coalition government between the new two largest parties was the FPO and OVP.

How distinct are the powers of the legislature and executive in separation-of-powers regimes?

There are clear constitutional differences between the powers of the legislature and executive.

How are cabinet members chosen in separation-of-powers regimes?

They are appointed by the president, but they must be approved by the legislature.

How are the executives elected in separation of powers regimes?

They are directly elected.

What are cabinet ministers?

They are members of parliament who are appointed to the cabinet by the prime minister, and they respond to responsibility collectively or individually.

What are junior ministers?

They are members of parliament who work under cabinet ministers and may be the sub-head of a certain part of the department of the minister they work for.

What are the advantages of an indirectly elected president?

They are more likely to be qualified since he's appointed by parliament, its cheaper than a campaign for a largely unimportant position, and the legislature is a more informed voter.

What are the symbolic roles of the head of state in a parliamentary system?

They are the first citizen and represent royal family (if they are a monarch), as well as a representation of the flag.

What are the diplomatic roles of the head of state in a parliamentary system?

They greet leaders from other countries.

How are governments approved before taking office in fusion-of-powers governments?

They must receive a vote if necessary when the final government is chosen, which can be tacit or a formal vote of investiture/no confidence.

How did France deal with the issue of cohabitation?

They shortened the president's term to 5 years so the elections occur at roughly the same time.

Can the president be dismissed by parliament in a semi-presidential system? Why no?

No, because he is mores separated from parliament like in the U.S.

Does the prime minister dissolve legislatures from a position of strength or weakness? How?

It can be from either. It can be from a position of strength in that a prime minister can call for early elections to gain more seats in parliament for a larger majority. But it can also be from a position of weakness because the prime minister feels his position is shaky in the legislature and he needs to gain more support.

Why did cohabitation use to occur often in France?

It happened often due to the president being elected every 7 years while the parliament was every five years, and often times, the president would be of a different party than the parliament because the citizenry would be disappointed in the majority party in parliament.

What is a semi-presidential system?

It is a mix of both a fusion-of-powers regime and a separation-of-powers regime.

What is individual responsibility for cabinet ministers?

It is doctrine by which cabinet ministers are individually responsible for their own respective department that they are the head of.

How can the Prime minister be replaced? Is this easy or difficult to do?

It is easy in Europe, to replace the prime minister, as opposed to the U.S.. He can be replaced through no confidence motions, intra-party coups, or a regular election.

What is cohabitation similar to regarding the U.S.?

It is similar to divided government.

What is cohabitation?

It is the concept in France where the president and the prime minister both have many powers, and the they are of different parties and clash ideologically as a result.

What is the tacit rule of intervention, and what country's rule is this?

It is the rule implemented in the Netherlands that means that a cabinet minister cannot interfere in another department's policy areas, but can only have a say in their own department's decisions because that is their area of expertise.

What is collective responsibility for cabinet ministers?

It is where cabinet ministers take collective responsibility for the decisions made in the cabinet, regardless of whether one supported the decision in the first place or not.

What does it mean for the elections to be indirect in Germany and Italy?

It means that each party puts up a candidate as an appointment, then parliament votes for the candidate.

How is the prime minister being the chief executive a sign that they are a fusion-of-powers regime?

It shows that they are fusion-of-powers because the prime minister typically comes from the parliament and is the technical leader of the party.

What was significant about this campaign other than the fact that one candidate was far-right?

It was the first time the main party candidates both didn't make it past the first round, and it was the closest election in Austrian history in a run-off vote.