3 ms·
> What would be a better option? A presidency like in the US? If you want to have a purely ceremonial head of state, it could still be an elected elder statesm
by MagnumOpus 6y ago
> What would be a better option? A presidency like in the US?
If you want to have a purely ceremonial head of state, it could still be an elected elder statesman rather than an aristo "by god's grace" and "divine" right. I.e. the German/Austrian/Italian presidential model where the president exercises about as much real power as queen Liz (i.e. a once-a-year state of the union speech).
Or you go entirely without - since Liz refuses to use her corrective powers even in such blatant cases of procedural abuse like the proroguing of parliament, then the post is useless and the Prime Minister might as well be Head of State officially.
- chrisseaton 6y agoIn practice, people living under these options like it less than the British people like the Queen. For example elected elder statesman such as Higgins: approval rating around 70%. Prime Minister: approval rating around 34%. The Queen has an approval rating around 80%, sometimes as high as 90%.
- pmyteh 6y agoI suspect that's partly because the Queen is a symbol of Britishness, and partly because Elizabeth has been a really good constitutional monarch. (And I say that as an ardent Republican. I'd certainly elect her our first ceremonial president). Charles, on the other hand... I suspect that the monarchy is always only two mediocre monarchs from abolition.