Voting In U.k Versus Us.

[Smowball]

Why is it that in the US the voters get to vote for the actual person they want to be President i.e. Trump or Clinton this time, but here we vote for the party and then they choose who will become Prime Minister and not us?

Am sure there is a logical reason but I've not heard what it is.

[tonyav]

Smow, presidential candidates represent a political party though, either Republican or Democrats.

[Smowball]

I know but it's still quite different to here

[New Judge]

And the President is the Head of State, not a representative like our MPs are. He is equivalent to the Queen (but with much greater powers).

[ichkeria]

It's just a completely different system. Not all countries are the same.
France is a bit like the US, tho the latter is a federation of states with their own governments as well as a federal government, Germany more like the UK
Some countries like the U.K. are constitutional monarchies, some like Ireland and Germany have elected heads of state, but parliamentary democracies, some like France, the US are presidential systems. Personally I think our system is better

[New Judge]

And yes, it is completely different because we do not elect our Head of State.

[tonyav]

I know what you mean, Smow. But here the winning party leader will be the PM.

[Smowball]

So which way do you prefer if any

[tonyav]

Neither for me, should be first past the post.

[Mamyalynne]

I prefer a Monarchy as we have, wouldn't want a President.

[ichkeria]

I prefer our system to France and the US. I quite like the idea of an elected head of state with ceremonial powers tho.

[ichkeria]

The problem with having a presidential system is that it can concentrate powers in the hands of one person: this means that the candidates can be open to bribery or can represent vested or clandestine interests. Far sighted presidents, like for example Mr Sakashvili in Georgia several years ago, moved to turn his country more into a parliamentary system without ultimately much success sadly.

[jim360]

Technically that's not how the US system works -- in theory, at least. Your vote in the US is for a member of the electoral college, who will then vote for the president -- just that, almost invariably, their vote will align with yours (either by convention or by state law).

It's a more direct thing for sure, but then the other difference is the Head of Government v. Head of State thing. Americans still have no control over who leads the US government, ie Congress.

[ichkeria]

The problem with that in the US is that over the years many congressional seats have been "doctored" so that there is never any realistic prospect of them changing hands. I believe, also, that the US excludes some of its citizens from the electoral roll for reasons that we might class as dubious

[ichkeria]

...either congressional, or state, or both

[Smowball]

I didn't know they excluded certain people?

[Old_Geezer]

I'd prefer a system where there is no official Head of State. I'm unconvinced it is a necessary role. It seems to be there mainly to please, meet, greet other irrelevant Heads of State. What specific roles are considered necessary are presently covered by the Cabinet anyway.

[woofgang]

actually smow if you think about it on practice its much the same thing...I mean we know, at the General Election, the names of the party leaders and its the expected thing that the leader of the party who is first past the post will become the Prime Minister. Trump has been quite an exception I think in that he has many ideas/intentions that are not supported in his own party...it remains to be seen how much control they can wield over him....

[woofgang]

Donald Trump is the equivalent of the Queen? ho ho ho!

[Smowball]

Some really interesting answers. Would love to be a fly on the wall when he meets the Queen. Can see him smacking her backside !

[tonyav]

Can see him smacking her backside !

Wot !, it'll be the tower for him if he does.