2. Members of the American cabinet 2. Members of the English cabinet are chosen by the chief are selected in the name of the executive—the President. nominal chief executive—the king, by the actual chief executive—the prime minister. 3. Members of the American cabinet 3. Members of the English cabinet are heads of departments. are also heads of departments; but in England not all heads of departments become members of the cabinet. 4. The American cabinet advises the 4. The English cabinet, through the President. prime minister, advises the king. CONTRASTS 1. Members of the American cabinet 1. Members of the English cabinet are not permitted to sit in must be members of parliament. Congress. 2. Members of the American cabinet 2. Members of the English cabinet are responsible to the President are responsible to the House of only; they do not have to resign Commons and must resign whenever if they fail to retain the they lose the support of a confidence of Congress. majority of that chamber. 3. The American cabinet does not 3. The English cabinet is the prepare business for Congress nor “great standing committee” of assume any formal initiative in parliament, preparing all law-making. important measures for its consideration and assuming a definite leadership in the making of laws. [Sidenote: Merits and defects of each plan.] =Which is the Better Plan?=—The relative merits of the American and English cabinet systems have been much discussed by writers in both countries. The American plan enables the executive branch of the government to retain its independence and thus prevents the lodging of too much power in the hands of Congress. The English system makes the House of Commons the supreme governing organ of the realm, with no legal checks upon its omnipotence. It affords, moreover, a degree of leadership in legislation which the American plan fails to provide. The American system, on the other hand gives the individual member of Congress greater scope for independent action in that he is not confronted, at the beginning of each session, with a cut-and-dried program arranged in advance by the cabinet.