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Is the Prime Minister Becoming More Presidential? Essay Plan

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Is the Prime Minister Becoming More Presidential? Essay Plan
Is the PM becoming presidential?

Intro
Foley thesis from ‘The British Presidency’ (2000)
Emphasises dominance of PM over cabinet
Must distinguish between style and substance

For
Spatial leadership * Thatchers ‘Thatcherism’ * Blairs ‘Third Way’ * Similar to Bush’s ‘Compassionate Republican’ * “Ideological consciences of their party” - Heywood
Populist outreach * PM’s claim to “articulate deepest hopes and fears” – Heywood * Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ * Obamas ‘Yes we can!’ * Blair addressing death of Diana
Personality politics * “brand image” Heywood * John Majors soap box
Personal mandates
Special advisors / Downing St. Machine * Blair 50 advisors, Major 8 * Creation of ‘Policy Implementation’ unit etc.
Strengthened cabinet office * Now resembles small scale PM’s office
Control of cabinet affairs * Blair reducing to one 45 minute meeting a week * Thatcher altering minutes of meetings in favour
Bypassing of cabinet * Blair’s bi-laterals * ‘Sofa government’
Patronage
* Control over careers * Inclusion of opposition ministers in Cabinet to silence under CCR
Prerogative powers * Derived from Head of State * Similar to president not needing party support * However, Brown pledged to reduce these
Media focus * Andy Coulson spin doctor for Cameron * Alistair Campbell spin doctor for Blair
International representation * “rubbing shoulders” with other presidents * “ difficult to look at Cameron and Obama after bilateral and say they did not look similarly presidential” – McNaughton * Cameron and Obama exchanging gifts (BBQ and table tennis table)
Involvement in foreign policy * Middle east, Balkans, parts of Africa

Against
Parliamentary government * People vote for party, not individual
Stronger tradition of party politics * Stronger sense of left and right * Labour ahead in recent opinion polls despite Ed Milliband
Not
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