Prime minister

A prime minister is the leader of the government in a parliamentary system. The title of prime minister as the "first" or "premier" minister in government has its roots in seventeenth-century France; however, the modern concept of the office originated with the British in the eighteenth century. The British system was instituted across its Commonwealth of Nations and eventually adopted by several other nations. A prime minister is not elected directly by the people. He or she is the leader of the party with a majority of seats in parliament or the head of a majority coalition of parties. In general, the prime minister is responsible for setting government policy, appointing cabinet officials, and overseeing government agencies. In many countries, the prime minister acts as head of government while a president or monarch acts as a ceremonial head of state.

Background

A parliamentary democracy is a system of government in which power lies in a legislative assembly elected by the citizens to represent them. The word parliament comes from the French parlement, which was derived from the verb parler, "to speak." The term was used to describe a meeting between community leaders or royal advisers where issues were discussed. The oldest known legislative assembly is Iceland's Althing, which was formed in the year 930. The Althing remains the governing body of Iceland, although it was abolished for a period in the early nineteenth century. The Tynwald on the Isle of Man was formed around 979 and is considered the oldest continuous parliament in the world.

The British Parliament was born in the thirteenth century when nobles asserted their rights to consult with the king on his Great Council. The term Parliament was first used to refer to the council in 1236. Later that century, representatives from villages and counties were included in parliamentary discussions for the first time. By the mid-fourteenth century, Parliament had divided into two factions—the Upper House and the Commons. These factions eventually evolved into the House of Commons and House of Lords. In the modern British Parliament, members of the House of Lords either inherit their positions or are appointed by the ruling monarch. The public elects members of the House of Commons.

Overview

After the reigning British king was overthrown in 1688, Parliament gained significant power over the new monarch who showed little interest in government affairs. Members of the House of Commons who were able to rise to a leadership position in Parliament and champion the king's agenda became powerful political figures. The term prime minister was informally used to refer to these leaders, but it carried a negative connotation. Detractors likened the position to that of Cardinal de Richelieu, a French clergyman who rose to a position of power in 1624 as the premier ministre to King Louis XIII.

The first prime minister of Britain is considered to be Sir Robert Walpole who assumed his official title as First Lord of the Treasury in 1721. While he acted in a leadership capacity in Parliament, Walpole refused to be called prime minister. In 1735, the king gifted Walpole a house on 10 Downing Street in London. Walpole insisted the house become the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury. The house was occupied sporadically for almost two centuries until it became the official residence of the British prime minister in the early twentieth century.

The governing precedents set by Walpole were followed by subsequent officials, although the position of prime minister had not been officially established. By the mid-nineteenth century, the term prime minister was being used by the press and even on the floor of Parliament, but it was not until 1905 that prime minister became an official government title. By that time, the duties of the prime minister had evolved to include the authority to call cabinet meetings, remove cabinet officials from office, and to request the dissolution of a government and call for new elections.

The British concept of prime minister was exported to its colonial territories in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although most of the former colonies have since established independent governments, many remain members of the British Commonwealth of Nations and maintain the parliamentary system, albeit with some differences. By the twenty-first century, most of the world's nations had incorporated some form of parliamentary-style government and were led by a prime minister.

In the United Kingdom, party members determine their leader by an internal election. After a general election in which the public chooses individual members of Parliament, the leader of the party with a majority of seats in the House of Commons forms a government and names its leader prime minister. If no party wins an outright majority of seats in an election, the party leaders must negotiate an alliance with other parties to form a coalition government. The leader of the largest represented party is typically then chosed to be the prime minister. The monarchy officially appoints the prime minister.

The British prime minister normally serves a term of five years until the next general election. In other nations, the term may be four or six years. If the prime minister loses the confidence of his or her party, he or she may be replaced as party leader, and a new prime minister selected. The prime minister can also call for early elections to seat a new government in an attempt to bolster his or her majority in Parliament. Many nations, such as Canada and Australia, have a similar system, although in Australia the equivalent of the House of Commons is called the House of Representatives. In India, the prime minister can be chosen from either of its two houses of parliament—the Council of States or the House of the People.

The prime ministers in British-style parliaments, also known as Westminster systems, usually hold strong political power and manage the day-to-day operations of government. In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth nations, the ruling monarch holds an advisory position in government and plays a ceremonial role on the world stage. In other parliamentary governments, that role is fulfilled by a president. In many cases, the monarch or president technically appoints a prime minister, however, that candidate is almost always the same person chosen by the majority party. In less stable democracies with many competing political parties, prime ministers are often forced to form tenuous alliances with competing parties to maintain power. These prime ministers hold a weaker position in their respective governments.

Bibliography

"Birth of the English Parliament." Parliament of the United Kingdom, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/originsofparliament/birthofparliament/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Blick, Andrew, and George Jones. "The Institution of Prime Minister." GOV.UK, 1 Jan. 2012, history.blog.gov.uk/2012/01/01/the-institution-of-prime-minister/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Jones, Clyve. A Short History of Parliament. Boydell Press, 2009.

Leonard, Dick. A History of British Prime Ministers. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

Matheson, W.A. "Prime Minister." Canadian Encyclopedia, 5 Nov. 2015, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prime-minister/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Pemberton, Becky. "Polling Power: What Is a General Election, How Is the UK Prime Minister Elected and Who Is Allowed to Vote?" The Sun, 26 Apr. 2017, www.thesun.co.uk/news/3354279/general-election-2017-what-prime-minister-vote/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Tavits, Margit. Presidents with Prime Ministers: Do Direct Elections Matter? Oxford UP, 2009.

Torrance, David. “How is a Prime Minister Appointed?” House of Commons Library, 4 July 2024, commonslibrary.parliament.uk/how-is-a-prime-minister-appointed-2/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Witte, Griff. "Britain Will Have First Female Prime Minister Since Margaret Thatcher." Washington Post, 7 July 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/world/british-prime-minister-contest-down-to-two-women-amid-eu-exit-fallout/2016/07/07/8499b76e-4390-11e6-a76d-3550dba926ac‗story.html?utm‗term=.267d4f10df8a. Accessed 9 Dec 2024.