Comparative Politics - the US and the UK: Politics Edexcel A level

Examine the differences in the checks and balances on the US Congress and the UK Parliament.

Congress is less constricted by the executive, and more by the judiciary, whereas the opposite is true for Parliament. In Congress, chambers are coequal, whereas in Parliament the Common outranks the Lords which, on the other hand, is not placed under direct public scrutiny that heavily limits the work of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Examine the ways in which the methods used by US interest groups and UK pressure groups differ.

U.S. interest group activity is constitutionally promoted, and it has a focus on the legislature and the judiciary. They can also financially meddle in the election process, are active on multiple levels of government, and express no formal ties to political options. In the UK, pressure groups focus on the executive of the central government, are barred from financially interfering with elections, are placed under greater public scrutiny, and can sometimes have formal ties with political parties.

Analyse how the US President could be considered to be less effective than the UK Prime Minister in achieving their legislative goals.

The Prime Minister leads his or her party, the majority in the Commons, and has greater agenda-setting powers and abilities to influence the behaviour of MPs, resulting in this position being more effective in achieving legislative goals than that of the U.S. President.

Examine the different natures of the US and UK Constitutions.

The U.S. Constitution, unlike the UK Constitution, is codified, does not rely on conventions, is difficult to amend, and contains deeply entrenched human and civil rights protections.

Examine the features of the US and UK Supreme Courts designed to ensure independence from political influence.

The concept of the separation of powers secures both courts with independence to operate without interference from the other two branches of government but in the UK these guarantees are lesser due to not being enshrined in the constitution. Likewise, unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, the UK Supreme Court is subject to a higher judicial instance on specific matters, the European Court of Human Rights. Yet, the justices of both courts enjoy significant independence in decision-making due to being hard to remove from office, only via a process involving the involvement of other branches of government.

Analyse how the US Senate has greater power than the UK House of Lords.

The Senate is the more prestigious chamber of Congress, coequal in policy-making to the House of Representatives thanks to constitutional protections. Its elected, and therefore legitimate representatives enjoy additional powers of confirming presidential appointments and foreign treaties. The House of Lords does not enjoy popular legitimacy and its powers are on a perpetual decline.

Examine how the powers of the US Congress and the UK Parliament are limited in different ways.

The separation of powers and the equality of both chambers of Congress make this legislature function differently from the UK Parliament but their similarities result from accountability to the electorate and the impact of partisanship.

Examine the ways in which the roles of the US President and the UK Prime Minister are different.

U.S. Presidents have the power of pardon, the power to appoint judges of the federal judiciary, and the power to veto laws - all of this is denied to UK Prime Ministers. UK Prime Ministers control the legislative process by virtue of their power originating in the majority in the Parliament - this is not the case with the U.S. President. Appointments made by the U.S. President need to be confirmed by the legislature but Cabinet appointees in the UK must originate in the Parliament.

Analyse how united the main political parties are in the USA and the UK.

UK political parties are more structured and its members strictly adhere to a shared broad set of ideological values, an outcome of culture and constitutional order. Yet, UK parties become divided on critical issues, while retaining party discipline in ordinary parliamentary procedures, whereas the opposite is correct for the U.S. ones.

Examine how interest groups in the USA are more effective at protecting civil rights than pressure groups in the UK.

Federalism, the ability to lobby before the Supreme Court which has the power to essentially legislate, the lack of oversight over the formation of iron triangles by lobbyists, weak campaign funding rules, and lacklustre party discipline in the United States allow American interest groups more leeway than enjoyed by UK pressure groups.

Examine how devolution in the UK differs from federalism in the USA.

Devolution is a novelty upheld by easily amendable Acts of Parliament in a system where Westminster still holds supreme legislative authority. In the U.S., federalism is part of the nation's tradition, upheld by firm constitutional principles in a system where the two levels of government are considered separate in distinct spheres of authority. Devolved regions are not equal in power, whereas U.S. states are, while regional governments in both systems reflect the composition of the central government.

Analyse the different legislative powers of the UK Parliament and the US Congress.

The two chambers of Congress are independent from the executive and coequal in power which may hinder their effectiveness in times of divided government. The House of Lords in the UK is a mere revising chamber, whereas the House of Commons and the executive are fused, thereby securing more effective governance.