Since the 1950s there has been an increase in the power of the Prime Minister, notably Crossman in 1962 and Benn, who in 1979 referred to “a system of personal government in the very heart of our parliamentary democracy." For Britain has remained “the most successful representative democracy in the world”. The role of the executive has significantly increased since the end of the Second World War, however the external dangers of additional individual hegemony linked to the Prime Minister should not be overestimated. Despite the modern examples of Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, whose leadership styles have each been labeled presidential. In this essay I will evaluate the power of the four main prime ministers and whether their powers are limited by the British system. For example, the power of cronyism, government, party leadership and the mass media. These are the four main factors of the prime minister and his effectiveness can be discussed. The fundamental power of the prime minister is the “power of patronage,” or the ability to appoint and fire, encourage and relegate all ministers in the government. This strengthens the prime minister's power in two ways: the prime minister can ensure the appointment and promotion of loyal supporters and “especially politicians who share his political or ideological preferences.” This suggests that rivals, critics or political opponents may be circumscribed by the government and placed in inferior positions. Furthermore, as the prime minister regulates their government careers, he ensures that ministers and backbenches cooperate together to remain loyal and supportive. Since they serve under the will of the prime minister, this gives the prime minister...half the paper...so the mass media plays a significant role in the power of the prime minister, as it allows political information to flow to society and more importantly it is under government control, so the prime minister can structure the news before it is published in the newspapers. However, having poor communication with the mass media can lead you to appear to be an unsuccessful and incompetent leader and this can overall damage your image. Overall, as I have explained, the Prime Minister's lack of power in the system he operates is due to other factors taking more power over the Prime Minister. A call to action is necessary as the system no longer seems stable, many of the people who stand up on our behalf are subject to a system of party loyalty and discipline and therefore cannot express their interest in case it contradicts with the ideology of the party.