Paper 3 UK vs US Comparison Table
UK US
Chief Executive PM has the Parliamentary President has veto power
arithmetic that allows them to • They can reject bills that
pass a legislative agenda more comes from Congress
easily • Bush vetoed the Water Bill
• 2019 Boris Johnson could 2007
"Get Brexit Done"
because of his 89 seat They get to appoint Cabinet
majority in the House of • They can choose whether to
Commons be partisan or bipartisan
• Blair in his period in (Obama appointed
power had his 418 seat Republicans to his first
majority which allowed cabinet to show his
him to pass any sweeping bipartisan approach)
reform he wanted • However Senate has to
• However the majority in ratify all Presidential
the House of Commons appointments (Obama's
does not always mean Commerce Secretary
that the PM can pass any nominee rejected twice by a
bill Dem-majority Senate)
• May's first Brexit Bill was
defeated despite having a Executive Orders
majority • Same backing as
• Blair's attempt to legislation/implied powers
privatise the Royal Mail of the President
was defeated by his own • Biden created an Executive
backbenchers Order on Safe, Secure and
Trustworthy Artificial
Whip System/Collective Intelligence in 2023
Responsibility • However Act of Congress
• The UK has a powerful will overrule the EO/SCOTUS
whip system which PMs can deem it unconstitutional
can utilise, especially the - example?
3 line whip used by Blair
and Johnson for the War
in Iraq and the Brexit Bill
respectively
• However PM can issue an
agreement to differ to
prevent a wave of
resignations over a policy
because it would make
the PM look weak
• Robin Cooke and Clare
Short resigned from
Cabinet over the War in
Iraq
, • Robert Jenrick resigned
over the Rwanda Policy
for not being stringent
enough
Control over cabinet
• Appointment without
ratification (Allowed
Cameron to return as
Foreign Secretary via the
Lords)
• Frequency/length of the
Cabinet meetings
• Reshuffle anytimes they
want
• Control information in
and out of cabinet
• Sideline cabinet and use
advisors instead
(Introduction of
academies by Blair was
only discussed with
Education Secretary and
Chancellor because of
opposition to the idea
elsewhere)
• Cabinet government
could limit this
• "Big Beasts" - prominent
figures within the party
that may directly
challenge the authority of
the PM
• Theresa May had Boris
and Gove in her cabinet
which provided a
challenge to May because
of their mass
Conservative support (2
votes of confidences and
a leadership bid)
Commander in Military action Military action
Chief and Chief • PM can deploy troops/resources • President can deploy troops
Diplomat without Parliamentary approval for 30 or 60 days without
• Sunak deploying airstrikes to Congressional approval
Yemen • All conflicts the US was
• However Convention dictates involved in since WW2 have
that the PM should seek been started without
Parliamentary approval (War Congressional approval
Convention 2004) • War Powers Act 1973 can
limit this power
UK US
Chief Executive PM has the Parliamentary President has veto power
arithmetic that allows them to • They can reject bills that
pass a legislative agenda more comes from Congress
easily • Bush vetoed the Water Bill
• 2019 Boris Johnson could 2007
"Get Brexit Done"
because of his 89 seat They get to appoint Cabinet
majority in the House of • They can choose whether to
Commons be partisan or bipartisan
• Blair in his period in (Obama appointed
power had his 418 seat Republicans to his first
majority which allowed cabinet to show his
him to pass any sweeping bipartisan approach)
reform he wanted • However Senate has to
• However the majority in ratify all Presidential
the House of Commons appointments (Obama's
does not always mean Commerce Secretary
that the PM can pass any nominee rejected twice by a
bill Dem-majority Senate)
• May's first Brexit Bill was
defeated despite having a Executive Orders
majority • Same backing as
• Blair's attempt to legislation/implied powers
privatise the Royal Mail of the President
was defeated by his own • Biden created an Executive
backbenchers Order on Safe, Secure and
Trustworthy Artificial
Whip System/Collective Intelligence in 2023
Responsibility • However Act of Congress
• The UK has a powerful will overrule the EO/SCOTUS
whip system which PMs can deem it unconstitutional
can utilise, especially the - example?
3 line whip used by Blair
and Johnson for the War
in Iraq and the Brexit Bill
respectively
• However PM can issue an
agreement to differ to
prevent a wave of
resignations over a policy
because it would make
the PM look weak
• Robin Cooke and Clare
Short resigned from
Cabinet over the War in
Iraq
, • Robert Jenrick resigned
over the Rwanda Policy
for not being stringent
enough
Control over cabinet
• Appointment without
ratification (Allowed
Cameron to return as
Foreign Secretary via the
Lords)
• Frequency/length of the
Cabinet meetings
• Reshuffle anytimes they
want
• Control information in
and out of cabinet
• Sideline cabinet and use
advisors instead
(Introduction of
academies by Blair was
only discussed with
Education Secretary and
Chancellor because of
opposition to the idea
elsewhere)
• Cabinet government
could limit this
• "Big Beasts" - prominent
figures within the party
that may directly
challenge the authority of
the PM
• Theresa May had Boris
and Gove in her cabinet
which provided a
challenge to May because
of their mass
Conservative support (2
votes of confidences and
a leadership bid)
Commander in Military action Military action
Chief and Chief • PM can deploy troops/resources • President can deploy troops
Diplomat without Parliamentary approval for 30 or 60 days without
• Sunak deploying airstrikes to Congressional approval
Yemen • All conflicts the US was
• However Convention dictates involved in since WW2 have
that the PM should seek been started without
Parliamentary approval (War Congressional approval
Convention 2004) • War Powers Act 1973 can
limit this power
