PM Sell-by Dates

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
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Washington DC
Question for y'all living in countries with parliamentary systems.

What makes people choose to oust a popular PM?

Not talking about True Dope, but one with consistently high ratings. In the post-WWII era, three out of nine German chancellors (their PMs) have had stays in the neighbourhood of fifteen years.

Merkel retired voluntarily. But what about others? If a PM is popular after 8 or 10 years, what makes people want to change? It's not like the parties get huge additions or reductions in voters. Is it just a feeling of "time for a new one?" Or something else?

(In the U.S. we have term limits for the President. Usually eight years, and the theoretical max is 10 years minus one day, which would require a Vice-President to succeed to the Presidency halfway-plus-one-day through the late President's term, and then be re-elected twice.)
 

pgs

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 29, 2008
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B.C.
What was it Bill said , oh yea , it’s the economy stupid .
 

Jinentonix

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 6, 2015
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Olympus Mons
Question for y'all living in countries with parliamentary systems.

What makes people choose to oust a popular PM?

Not talking about True Dope, but one with consistently high ratings. In the post-WWII era, three out of nine German chancellors (their PMs) have had stays in the neighbourhood of fifteen years.

Merkel retired voluntarily. But what about others? If a PM is popular after 8 or 10 years, what makes people want to change? It's not like the parties get huge additions or reductions in voters. Is it just a feeling of "time for a new one?" Or something else?

(In the U.S. we have term limits for the President. Usually eight years, and the theoretical max is 10 years minus one day, which would require a Vice-President to succeed to the Presidency halfway-plus-one-day through the late President's term, and then be re-elected twice.)
That's pretty much what it is. I've also seen so-called "strategic voting" in Canada, although it's something more prevalent with US voters, or used to be anyway. It's not quite as purposeful/impactful with a multi-party system.
Sometimes "popularity" isn't so much a case of being popular as it is the other choices are even worse. I'll take "suck" over "utter shite" any day.
 
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