[OT] Prime Minister/ Parliament vs. President/Congress?

[Lothaire]

And as added referential note:

The president of the United States is not directly elected.

People actually vote for electors, who represent the presidential candidite. The candidite that gets a majority electors to vote for them wins. An elector that is pledged to vote for a particular candidite does not necessarily have to, though such an event has occured only twice in US history, and neither event affected the end results.

But there is more complication. The US has 50 states + the district of Colombia (Washington DC) that vote for electors. In every state but two, the candidite that wins the majority of votes gets all of the states electors. The other states allow representational division of electors, where a candidite wins electors in porportion to the percentage of the vote that they have won.

States have electors equal to the number of members of congress they have. Each state gets two senators (High legislative group) and a number of representatives in porportion to their population. I do not recall the exact number of members of the house of representatives but it is around 350. With the current population of the US approximately 500,000 people are in each congressional district.

If you want any more odd information, like on our order and rules of succession, political jursidiction, jurisprudence etc. just ask.

 

[hong]

And as added referential note:

The president of the United States is not directly elected.

People actually vote for electors, who represent the presidential candidite. The candidite that gets a majority electors to vote for them wins. An elector that is pledged to vote for a particular candidite does not necessarily have to, though such an event has occured only twice in US history, and neither event affected the end results.

(snip)

I think most people, all over the world, learned more than they ever wanted to know about the US electoral system during the last election.

 

[Skarp Hedin]

Regarding the electors:

In many states these days (though I don't know the exact number, I do know that this is the case in Vermont), the electors are required by law to cast their vote in accordance with the popular vote in the state. I do not know, however, what happens if an elector chooses to break that law -- the vote may or may not be valid.

Also, there are (currently) 435 members of the House of Representatives. Due to the most recent census figures, I gather the representation will shift about, and there are some lawsuits aimed at preventing this -- no state wants to lose a seat, heh.

Oh yeah, and Hong's right. Whoo.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

I think most people, all over the world, learned more than they ever wanted to know about the US electoral system during the last election.

Yup. I remember the political commentators talking about how the candidates might be courting the electors, to see if they could get some swing votes....

 

[LostSoul]

One thing to remember about parliamentary governments is that the leader of the ruling party (who, along with the "Ministers", holds executive power) is beholden to the party to which he/she belongs. The party caucus should have the power to oust the leader.

 

[Reprisal]

Most of the time, however, the leader of that political party, aka The Prime Minister, has the officially recognized power to "Hire and Fire" all ministers (and caucas members).

The United States is unique insofar as its representatives are not as subject to Party Discipline as a lot of those countries using the Westminster Parliamentry model are...

(Post Edit: Added "and caucas members" and cleaned up some typos...)

 

[Tonguez]

In response to the original question

The Prime Minister is the 'Leader' of Parliment
Parliment is equivalent to Congress

Parliments govern countries and set laws which are ratified by Presidents or Monarchs (or their agents eg Governor Generals)

Australia, Canada and New Zealand (most Commonwealth countries) all have the reigning English Monarch as head of state represented by her agent the Governor General

The Monarch/Governor General is equivalent to President NOT the Prime Minister

*However in very few cases will the Gov.General oppose the wishes and advice of Parliment & Prime Minister.

The House of Lords

The House of Lords is technically not part of Parliment but IS the upper House of Government.

The House of Lords are appointed by the Monarch (some with hereditary 'rights' to automatic appointment, a few by an indicative vote). Its power and ability to oppose parliment is diminishing

The Law Lords also make up the Privy Council which is the Highest Court of Appeal in Britain and some Commonwealth countries.

Judiciary

in most parlimentary systems, the judicial branch is also fused into the single governmental body with the executive and the legislature..

Nope this is rarely correct. In most Western Democracies with Parliments the Judiaciary is entirely seperate from Parliment and Judges are suppose to have no political affiliations at all.

In New Zealand for instance the Judiciary is appointed by the Law Association - the 'independent body' to which all practicing lawyers must belong and whose functions include admiting law school graduates 'to the bar' (ie as Barristers & Solicitors), Discipline of Lawyers and appointment of Judges. Once appointed those Judges become Employees of the Atorney General who is a Government Appointee but it is considered a straight employee relationship.

In the US system, the Federal judiciary is strictly separated from the executive and legislative branches.
Personally I am dubious about the US system of electing Judges (and Sheriffs) as imho it makes Judges entirely subject to politic whim and public opinion - a case of do I oppose this law on moral grounds or support it because my voters want it? I could be wrong but I am personally dubious

 

[med stud]

As a sidenote, the monarchs of the monarchistic parlamentaric nations very seldom have any political power; our king aint even allowed to vote or express any political opinions. He is more or less there to represent Sweden in foreign countries.

 

[Garmorn]

U.S. Court system

In the US system, the Federal judiciary is strictly separated from the executive and legislative branches.
Personally I am dubious about the US system of electing Judges (and Sheriffs) as imho it makes Judges entirely subject to politic whim and public opinion - a case of do I oppose this law on moral grounds or support it because my voters want it? I could be wrong but I am personally dubious

You are confusing State/Local court systems with the Federal. The Federal system has apponinted judges. Some (not all) of the State/local systems have elected judges. The two/three systems are quite seperate exept that for limited over lap or special caes/areas.

As for electing judgesm, you are not the only one that thinks it shoud be stoped. Many in the U.S don't like elected judges for similar reasons that you have stated plus several even worst reasons.

 

[Carnifex]

Isn't the House of Lords part of Parliament?

Yes, however members of the House of Lords are *not* called Members of Parliament. Odd, I know.