Chapter 13 - Presidents and Prime Ministers

"Cohabitation" in France

DeGaulle designed semi-presidential system w/ PM (premier) and working president. President has specified term and nominates like-minded PM. Cohabitation occurs when parliament party/PM are of a different party than the President - resolved deadlock that occurs in the US.

"Chancellor"

(is a PM) can only be removed if Bundestag (lower house) votes in replacement cabinets.

Attention to members

Attention focused on chief executive, expected to deliver econ growth w/ low unemployment and low inflation. Worldwide power flowing to the executive, with legislatures in decline.

US President

Can be removed BUT with great difficulty. 1) charges brought by US House of Repr. and passed into bill of impeachment; 2) Senate holds trial by Chief of Justice; 3) 2/3 vote needed to remove Pres. (A. Johnson and B. Clinton impeached but not removed).

Barber's Presidents' different leadership

Carter (hands-on): supervised too much, tends to exhaust and diffuse President's energy. Reagan (hands-off) let subordinates handle most administration; may lead to fiascos (Iran). Eisenhower (hidden-hand): was involved behind the scenes; most of his career military bureaucrat.

Bureaucracies

Civil service staffing govt executive agencies, implementing law/policies. Operates under hierarchy - permanent. Bureaucrats know more about specialized topics.

Trouble w/ bureaucracy

Efficiency, profitability, productivity are hard to apply and cutting govt programs (Medicare/SSN) is impossible. Bureaucracy and corruption intertwined with strong nepotism present.

Plato

Even people who are born sane can become power-dependent when in high office. They need to amass power, because spotlight gives them enemies (imagery and non). According to Plato, tyrants go crazy in office. Solution: reduce power and introduce mechanisms to remove officeholders who abuse it.

German bureaucracies

Fredreck the Great of Prussia wanted organized; Prussian leadership passed onto German unification, bureaucrats trained at law and organize law into codes.

Friedrich's Anticipated reactions

Have the electorate monitor/vote on the President/PM at intervals of time.

Cabinet members

In Parl. systems ministers are drawn by parliament (are both legislators/executives). In Pres. systems, cabinet officers may come from other professions not necessarily politicians. EU cabinet members are knowledgeable on politics and subject area.

Prime Ministers

In parliamentary systems, chief executive chosen from ranks of majority party. If there's no majority, coalition is necessary, PM is weakened.

Bureaucratic politics

Infighting among and within agencies to set policy. However, the model is not persuasive as the president is the one in charge and has strong personal preferences, deciding which agency to listen to.

Britain bureaucracies

Long traditions of dispersing authority. Has a merit civil service exam; every ministry has 'permanent secretary' who reports to the minister (has real power).

Cabinets

Major executive divisions are departments (head secretary) & ministries (head minister).

Forming Govt in Britain

Monarch invites leader of the largest party in House of Commons to become PM. PM then apponints 2dozen members. Ministers opposing govt policy expected to resign and return to parliament.

French bureaucracies

Napoleon restored bureaucratized/centralized state, w/ top civil servants graduates of elite schooling.

Presidentialization of PM's

PM's w/ stable majorities start acting as powerful chiefs, dimly accountable to legislators. Well aware they will not be ousted on 'no confidence'. Personality matters more than policy, part, or ideology.

Laswell's Psychology of Power

Politics: Who gets what? (1936). Politicians start out imbalanced and in pursuit of dominance/power, which is why they choose politics. Fascinating theory, but impractical.

Executive terms

Presidents have fixed terms (4-6 years). Staying in office a long time can bring corruption. In parl. systems PM's can stay in power indeterminately, as long as they win elections.

Nomenklatura

Soviet Elites (top soviet positions), receive special privileges.

Presidential systems

Strong executive elected for fixed terms; independent of legislature. Independent power of both President and Congress may led to legislative deadlock.

Brit bureaucrats

Take pride in being apolitical and carrying out political govt policies.

Departments in states

US expands departments via acts in Congress. In Parl. systems, chief executive do so at will. US creates new departments when major issue pushes national policy.

Bureaucracies in Communist countries

USSR was most bureaucratic nation (wanting to control all aspects).

"Deep state"

used by Trump to describe the bureaucrats who do not cooperate with him.

US bureaucracies

≤15% of civil servants are federal, w/ most serving in education, police, fire protection. US tends to have less bureaucracy the EU or Latin America (who have statist histories)