Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Presidential System, Montesquieu
4 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
March 8
Lecture 17 - Executives and Assemblies
Lecture 16 continued
Bureaucratic vs. Political
-Political Executive:
•Senior officials constituting ‘Government of the Day”
•Politically Chosen
•Sets priorities, enables legislation, oversees implementation, resolves crises
-Parliamentary Executive
•Clearer Distinction (between political and bureaucratic executive)
-‘Politics’ Cabinet oversees ‘Bureaucratic’ Civil Servants
-Canada: Do PM and Cabinet still want impartial advice?
-Presidential Executive
•Fainter Distinction
-US: President Elected, but cabinet appointed
-Many civil servants are temporary partisan appointees (appointed by new government
that favours their perspective)
-Communist Countries - All civil servants ‘Political’
Structure and Functions
-Dual Executive:
•Head of State - Queen, Governor General, President (continuity)
•Head of Government - Prime Minister, Chancellor (No continuity)
•Elected President combines these roles
-Ceremonial Leadership (Head of state)
-Policy-Making Leadership (political executive, head of government)
-Popular Leadership (Heads of State and Head of Gov)
-Bureaucratic Leadership (When the crown rules in the 18th century, ministers in Canada were
responsible for administrative functions and pushing the crown’s legislation through gov.
Remains the case today because most ministers have a portfolio they’re part of and have to
work to maintain)
-Crisis Leadership
Low Energy or High?
-Montesquieu: ‘Need of Dispatch’ - Single individual best (High Energy)
•United executive placing executive power in a few hands
-Harvey C. Mansfield: Room for Manoeuvre, Especially in Crisis
•Room for manoeuvre for an executive - they can’t operate effectively if constrained in times
of crisis
-US Constitution: “Energy in the Executive”
-BUT - Gives you Either:
•Abraham Lincoln OR
•George W. Bush
Institutionalizing the Executive: Parliamentary Systems
Parliamentary Systems: Fusion
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find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Political executive: senior of cials constituting government of the day , politically chosen, sets priorities, enables legislation, oversees implementation, resolves crises. Parliamentary executive: clearer distinction (between political and bureaucratic executive) Many civil servants are temporary partisan appointees (appointed by new government that favours their perspective) Communist countries - all civil servants political". Dual executive: head of state - queen, governor general, president (continuity, head of government - prime minister, chancellor (no continuity, elected president combines these roles. Policy-making leadership (political executive, head of government) Popular leadership (heads of state and head of gov) Bureaucratic leadership (when the crown rules in the 18th century, ministers in canada were responsible for administrative functions and pushing the crown"s legislation through gov. Remains the case today because most ministers have a portfolio they"re part of and have to work to maintain) Montesquieu: need of dispatch" - single individual best (high energy: united executive placing executive power in a few hands.
