Predicted Paper 3 USA · Q1A · 12-mark comparative

President and Prime Minister: the powers

"Examine the differences between the powers held by the US President and the UK Prime Minister. (12 marks)"

1. What a 12-mark Examine question wants

This is a 12-mark Section A comparative question, marked AO1 (knowledge) and AO2 (analysis) only - there are no AO3 evaluation marks. You are not arguing which office is more powerful. You are identifying and explaining clear, developed differences.

Spec hook. P3US.3 the US presidency; P3US.6 comparative approaches. The question pairs the US executive with the UK executive you study in Papers 1 and 2.

Aim for three or four developed differences. Each one follows the same shape: state the difference, give accurate knowledge of both sides (AO1), then explain what the difference means (AO2). A list of differences with no development scores in the lower band.

2. The US President's powers

The presidency is created by Article II of the codified US Constitution. The President is both head of state and head of government, but the powers are enumerated and limited.

Chief executive: enforces federal law, issues executive orders, heads the federal bureaucracy.
Commander-in-chief of the armed forces, though only Congress can formally declare war.
A qualified veto over legislation, which Congress can override with a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
Nominates federal judges, ambassadors and cabinet officers - but appointments require Senate confirmation.
Negotiates treaties, which the Senate must ratify by two-thirds.

The President serves a fixed four-year term and is limited to two terms by the 22nd Amendment (1951). The President is not a member of the legislature and cannot introduce bills.

3. The UK Prime Minister's powers

The office of Prime Minister rests on convention and the royal prerogative, not a codified document. There is no single legal text that lists the PM's powers.

Exercises prerogative powers on behalf of the Crown: appointing and dismissing ministers, patronage, directing the civil service, deploying the armed forces.
Chairs the Cabinet and sets its agenda; controls the government's legislative programme.
Leads the largest party in the Commons and normally commands a majority, so government bills usually pass.
Traditionally described as primus inter pares - first among equals - within the Cabinet.

The PM has no fixed term and no term limit. Since the Fixed-term Parliaments Act was repealed in 2022, the PM again has significant influence over election timing. But the PM holds office only while commanding the confidence of the Commons and the support of the governing party.

4. The key differences

Set the two offices against each other on the points that genuinely differ.

Difference	US President	UK Prime Minister
Source of power	Codified Article II; powers enumerated and limited	Uncodified convention and prerogative; powers not legally listed
Relationship to the legislature	Separation of powers - separate from and not a member of Congress	Fusion of powers - sits in and leads the legislature
Security of tenure	Fixed four-year term; two-term limit	No fixed term, no limit; removable by party or Commons at any time
Legislative power	Cannot introduce bills; relies on the veto and persuasion	Commands the legislative agenda through a Commons majority
The cabinet	Appointed subordinates, confirmed by the Senate, not rivals	Senior elected party figures; the PM is first among equals

AO2 line. The deepest difference is the relationship to the legislature: the President is checked from outside by a separate Congress, while the PM is checked from inside by the party and the Commons. That single contrast can anchor a whole answer.

5. Writing the answer

Choose three or four of the differences above. For each, write one developed paragraph.

State the difference in a clear opening sentence.
AO1: give accurate knowledge of both the US and the UK side - a named power, the Article, the convention.
AO2: explain what the difference means - why it matters for how each leader governs.

Banned move. Do not evaluate. "This shows the President is weaker" is an AO3 judgement and earns nothing here. Keep every paragraph comparative and explanatory, not evaluative.