Re: [vox] why i hate phantom menace

[joseph e arruda <zeruchMAPS@dibona.com>]

On Tue, 18 Jun 2002, Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
> > For starters? Israel.  50% + 1 no-con vote in the Knesset can lead to the
> > dissolution of the executive and new elections.  
>                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> half credit.  :)
> 
> 
> like the president of the USA, the president of israel can't be voted
> out of power on the whim of the k'nesset.  he needs to be convicted
> of a felony, which makes him inelligible to serve his post.
> 
> 
> you're thinking of the prime minister.  the president is the head of
> state.

And the PM actually holds the dominant power position (Menachem Begin set
the standard), and the presidency secondary (which is somewhat opposite
France). 
 
> the prime minister is the head of the government.   so if the PM gets
> voted out, the country still runs smoothly.

Not usually.  In many no-con cases, the dominant party (even in
coalitions, there is usually a slightly stronger player from which the PM
is drawn) takes a severe hit and policy adjustments can go into horrid
overcorrections.  I wish I could site the paper that I am drawing this
statement from, (I think it was by Maoz and Abdolalli, but I aint sure).

>   things still get done.

Mostly done badly.  Welcome to Diplomacy 101 - How to Much Things Up
Royally and Still Look Swell in Public.

> there's still law and order, even when the government can't agree on who
> should be the prime minister.

Your view of how governments can/can't work is amusing...

z

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