Executives

Executive Branch• Largest, most complex, and most

powerful in modern states• Typically, governments have 1 or 2 chief

executives– Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chancellors,

Secretaries General, or Leader– Various titles, duties, and powers– Even some kings have genuine power still!

• Monarch of Saudi Arabia exercises real power• Most are symbols of the state & nation

• Tend to be main formulators & executors of public policy

Structure of the chief executive• Democratic governments have either 1 chief executive (presidential) or split chief executive

of two offices: ceremonial head of state & more powerful head of governmentAuthoritarian Democratic: Partisan Influence –

influence in legislatureDemocratic: Constitutional Powers –

veto legislation, issue decrees, appoint Cabinet

Effective (genuine discretion in enactment of laws, budgets, or gov’t appointments)

General Secretary, China British PMFrench PM

German ChancellorIndian PM

Japanese PM

Ceremonial (symbolic role)

Chinese President British QueenGerman PresidentIndian President

Japanese Emperor

Ceremonial & Effective

Iranian Leader French President Brazilian PresidentMexican PresidentNigerian PresidentRussian President

US President

Recruitment• Method of finding top policymaker is critical to

protect order & stability• Major accomplishment of democracies is

regulating potential conflict of succession to voting (rather than weapons)

• Competitive party systems– Presidential System – parties select candidates for

nomination & the public elects one (US, Brazil)– Elected Presidents appoint Prime Minister (France &

Russia)– Parliamentary System – Prime Minister is selected

from within the Parliament, not directly elected by the public

• Limited tenure in presidential and parliamentary democracies

Recruitment of Chief ExecutiveCountry Structure Recruitment

StructureHow Often Gov’t

Survived Succession

Brazil President Party & voters Often

Britain Prime Minister Party, House of Commons, Voters

Very Often

China Party Secretary Party & military Often

Iran Leader, President Religious Elites, voters Once

Nigeria President Military, party, voters Never

Russia President Party & voters Once

United States President Party & voters Very Often

Authoritarian Systems• Rarely have effective procedures for

leadership succession• Risky to transfer such concentrated power to

another person• Leadership succession occurs when leaders

die or are overthrown• Always aware of possibility of a party coup

Stability in Succession• Poorer nations are less stable • Regimes usually have less experience at surviving succession crises• Many African nations experienced repeated coups• Military governments also common in Latin America & the Middle East• Nigeria example

– Experienced military coups & governments from 1966-1979– Introduced competitive presidential system– Overthrown by military coup after second election in

1983– Military gov’t moved toward civilian rule in early 1990s,

but annulled the 1993 presidential election before results were announced

– Military finally allowed return to civilian rule in 1999• India the Exception

– Persisted through assassinations & other crises– Provided number of democratic successions with a single interruption in the 1970s

The Cabinet• In many systems, the cabinet is the most important collective decision-

making body• Power can be great, esp. in parliamentary systems

– Formation closely linked to selection of Prime Minister– Entire cabinet may be collectively responsible to the legislature– Formation depends on result of parliamentary elections & composition of

parliament– Often, no party wins a majority of votes & several parties will form a coalition

cabinet• Typically contains leaders of all major departments

– Ministers, Secretaries of State– Meets frequently– Typically selected & led by the head of government

• In presidential systems, members are selected by the President and the legislature gives approval

• Vice President – Joe Biden• Dept. of State – John Kerry• Dept. of Treasury – Jack Lew• Dept. of Defense – Chuck Hagel• Dept. of Justice – Attorney General Eric H

Holder, JR.• Dept. of the Interior – Sally Jewell• Dept. of Agriculture – Thomas J Vilsack• Dept. of Commerce – Penny Pritzker

• Dept. of Labor – Thomas E Perez• Dept, of Health & Human Services – Sylvia

Matthew Burwell• Dept. of Housing & Urban Development –

Julian Castro• Dept. of Trasnportation – Anthony Foxx• Dept. of Energy – Ernest Moniz• Dept. of Education – Arne Duncan• Dept. of Veterans Affiars – Sloan Gibson• Dept. of Homeland Security – Jeh JohnsonUS Cabinet

Functions of Chief Executive

• Initiates new policies• Can have substantial part in their adoption,

depending division of powers with the legislature• Oversees policy implementation & can hold

subordinate officials accountable for performance• Makes decisions in foreign policy crises• Conduct affects confidence in the political system

as a whole• Explains & builds support for policies

CASE STUDY: MILITARY COUPS

In Thailand