2.3.2 What is the cabinet & what do they do (inc. functions)? Flashcards
1
Q
Define ‘cabinet’
A
- the Cabinet is the group of the highest level of government ministers - the PM plus the heads of the government departments
- it is chaired by the PM
- the Cabinet collectively decides the government’s policy & direction: especially in regards to legislation to be sent Parliament
- but: it is questionable whether in reality, this is true; PMs (Blair (Iraq War), Thatcher (went to the Falklands War w/out cabinet), Johnson (constant Cabinet shuffles), Starmer (deliberately keeping the Cabinet quiet)) are known to dominate their cabinet rather than the other way round
2
Q
What power does the Cabinet possess?
A
- up to the 1960s, PMs used to run the cabinet in a primus inter pares way (first among equals), which would suggest a strong cabinet & a weak PM; this is called a Cabinet government
- however from the 1960s-2010s, this turned into a more prime ministerial government where the PM would dominate completely which would mean that the cabinet would be weak
3
Q
How is the cabinet generally composed?
A
the cabinet consists of 20-25 senior government ministers who generally head large departments of state
4
Q
When do the cabinets meet?
A
it usually meets once a week for no more than 2 hours on a Thursday morning, although in a crisis it can also be summoned
5
Q
How does the PM generally influence the Cabinet?
A
the PM sets the agenda, chairs & sums up the meeting & then approves the cabinet secretary’s minutes
6
Q
What is the PM’s main influence on the Cabinet?
A
- contextually, votes are very rarely taken & although there can be intense debate & disagreement within cabinet, the PM expects all present to publicly support the government’s decisions & policies based on the principle of collective ministerial responsibility
- if a member of the cabinet cannot publicly agree to a policy determined by cabinet, they should have to resign & join the back benches, where they are free to criticise the government
7
Q
A
