The Executives Compared | AQA A-Level Politics (7152)
The Executives Compared
- 25 questions
- 2 subtopics
- Paper 2: comparative politics
- Paper 2
A Prime Minister who is head of government but not of state and holds office at their party's pleasure, against a president elected nationally for a fixed term — and what each can do to the other branches..
It covers prime Minister and President: Office, Tenure and Cabinet and executive Power over Courts, Officials and Abroad.
Sample questions from The Executives Compared
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Prime Minister and President: Office, Tenure and Cabinet
Name two presidential powers a Prime Minister does not possess.
Show the answer
The president can veto legislation passed by the legislature and can nominate justices to the Supreme Court, neither of which a Prime Minister may do. -
Prime Minister and President: Office, Tenure and Cabinet
What personal staff supports each leader?
Show the answer
The president is served by the large Executive Office of the President, including the White House staff, while the Prime Minister relies on the smaller Downing Street operation and the Cabinet Office. -
Executive Power over Courts, Officials and Abroad
How do the foreign policy powers of the two leaders differ?
Show the answer
The president is commander-in-chief but needs a two-thirds Senate vote to ratify treaties, while the Prime Minister exercises prerogative powers over treaties and deployments under far weaker legislative constraint. -
Executive Power over Courts, Officials and Abroad
Why can a president achieve less at home than a Prime Minister despite holding greater formal powers?
Show the answer
The president must persuade an independent Congress that they cannot command, whereas the Prime Minister heads the legislative majority and can normally deliver an entire programme.
The 2 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister and President: Office, Tenure and Cabinet | Recall questions comparing the Prime Minister and president in how they reach office, the sources and security of their power, their cabinets and collective responsibility, their accountability and presidentialisation. | 16 |
| Executive Power over Courts, Officials and Abroad | Recall questions on each leader's dealings with the judiciary and the permanent bureaucracy, their response to an unwanted bill, and foreign policy powers. | 9 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Politics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,215 questions with their answers.