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UK Politics condensed > 3.1.1.3 the prime minister and cabinet > Flashcards

3.1.1.3 the prime minister and cabinet Flashcards

1
Q

Cabinet

A

The prime minister and senior ministers, most of whom are heads of government departments, It is formally the key decision-making body in British government

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2
Q

Executive

A

The branch of government responsible for policy making and implementation. In the UK, the executive comprimises the prime minister, cabinet and junior ministers

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3
Q

Government department

A

An administrative unit of the executive that is usually responsible for a particular area of policy.

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4
Q

Minister

A

An MP or member of the house of lords who is appointed to a specific position in the government by the prime minister

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5
Q

Prime Minister

A

The head of the government and the executive branch. The PM chairs the cabinet

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6
Q

whcih institutions make up the political executive?

A

the treasury, the PM, the cabinet office

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7
Q

who staff the government departments

A

civil servants

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8
Q

government departments

A

the administrative executive and oversee the daily administration of government

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9
Q

civil servants

A

they are not political appointments and remain in post when the government changes

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10
Q

What is the role of the executive?

A

-Making political decisions
-Proposing legislations
-Proposing a budger

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11
Q

Making political decisions - the executive

A
  • the country’s overall policy direction.
  • day to day decisions on policy.
  • policy implementation
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12
Q

Proposing legislation - the executive

A
  • The executive devises and initiates legislation.
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13
Q

secondary legislation

A

A form of legislation which allows provisions of an Act of Parliament to be brought into force or altered by ministers without requiring additional primary legislation.

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14
Q

Proposing a budget - the executive

A
  • The executive makes key decisions on economic policy and proposesa budget.
  • The chancellor sets out proposed levels of taxation and public spending in the budget
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15
Q

Powers of the executive

A

-prerogative powers
-control of the legislation agenda
-powers of secondary legisaltion

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16
Q

Prerogative powers

A

These are powers exercise by ministers that do not require parliamentary approval.

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17
Q

royal prerogative

A

a set of powers exercise by government ministers or by the monarch which do not require parliamentary approval.

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18
Q

what powers does the monarch still retain

A
  • the appointment of prime ministers and giving royal assent to legislation,
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19
Q

control of legislative agenda

A
  • Most bills are proposed by the government and it controls the legislative timetable.
  • imposition of party discipline on important votes and the requirement that all ministers must support government in parliament.
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20
Q

powers of secondary legislation

A
  • These vary from being largely technical to providing greater detail on broad provisions of an Act. - They are scrutinised by parliamentary committees.
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21
Q

role of prime minister

A

-political leadership
-national leadership
-appointing the government
-chairing the cabinet
-managing the executive
-prerogative powers
-managing relations with parliament
-representing the uk in international affairs

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22
Q

Political leadership

A

The Prime Minister decides the political direction taken by the government, setting it’s priorities and strategy, They decide policy on high profile issues

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23
Q

National leadership

A

The Prime Minister is the predominant political figure in the uk and provides national leadership at times of crisis. They are responsible for national security

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24
Q

appointing the government

A

The prime minister determines the membership of the government by appointing and dismissing ministers

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25
Q

Chairing the cabinet

A

The Prime Minister chairs meetings of the cabinet, sets its agenda and steers its decisions. They create cabinet committees and hold bilateral meeting with ministers

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26
Q

Managing relations with parliament

A

The prime minister makes statements to and answers questions in, the house of commons. They also shape the governments legislative programme

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27
Q

representing the UK in international affairs

A

The Prime Ministers represent the UK in high level international diplomacy

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28
Q

Who invites the leader of the party with a majority in commons to form a government

A

The Monarch

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29
Q

Majority government

A

A government consisting of members of one political party which has an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons.

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30
Q

Coalition government

A

A government consisting of two or more political parties formed after an agreement between them on policy and the allocation of ministerial positions.

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31
Q

Minority government

A

A government consisting of members of one political party which does not have an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons.

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32
Q

PMs office

A

The senior civil servants and special advisers, based at 10 Downing Street, who provide advice and support for the prime minister.

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33
Q

10 Downing street

A

The residence and office of the prime minister. ‘Number 10’ and ‘Downing Street’ are sometimes used to refer to the Prime Minister’s Office.

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34
Q

The prime minister’s office

A

The prime minister does not head a government department, nor is there a formal prime minister’s department. However, within 10 Downing Street is the Prime Minister’s Office and this has grown in importance. Its staff of around 190 people are a mix of career civil servants and special advisers.

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35
Q

Two important aspects of the work of the Prime Minister’s Office are:

A

-policy advice
-communications

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36
Q

policy advice the prime minsiters office gives

A
  • It provides the prime minister with policy advice,
    which may differ from that given by ministers.
  • Helps to set the future direction of government policy.
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37
Q

Communications from the prime minsters office

A
  • Responsible for
    the presentation of government policy. This function has grown in importance with the growth of the media
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38
Q

the resources avaliable to a PM to make the powerful

A

-patronage
-authority within the cabinet system
-policy-making input
-party leadership
-public standing

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39
Q

patronage

A

The power of an individual to appoint someone to an important position.

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40
Q

what does the power to appoint life peers mean

A
  • The power to nominate life peers enables prime ministers to alter the party balance within the Lords. - The prime minister may nominate life peers with a view to giving them ministerial positions.
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41
Q

the honours system

A

A police inquiry into allegations of ‘cash for honours’ — that donors to the Labour Party were rewarded with peerages — ended in 2007 without criminal charges being brought.
- But it led to changes to the prime minister’s role in the honours system. Nominations are now considered by honours committees made up of civil servants and people independent of government.

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42
Q

Appointing cabinet ministers

A

The prime minister’s power to appoint and dismiss government ministers, particularly at cabinet level, provides a crucial advantage over colleagues. In practice, the prime minister does not have a free hand.

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43
Q

ideological considerations appoinitng cabinet ministers

A

A cabinet that contains politicians from only one wing of a party may not have the full support of that party.

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44
Q

Cabinet reshuffle

A

A series of changes to the personnel of the cabinet and the positions they occupy, instigated by the prime minister.

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45
Q

Botched cabinet reshuffle

A

A botched reshuffle may raise questions about the prime minister’s judgement, reveal cabinet divisions and highlight policy failings.

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46
Q

Authority’s PMs have in cabinet

A

-chairs cabinet meetings
-manages the agenda of cabinet meetings and determines their frequency and length
-directs and sums up cabinet discussions
-creates cabinet committees and appoints their members
-holds bilateral meetings with ministers
-appoints senior civil servants
-organises the structure of government

47
Q

Agenda setting

A

The prime minister can determine the agenda of cabinet meetings by:
-controlling the information presented to ministers by determining which issues and papers should be brought before cabinet
-keeping potentially difficult issues off the cabinet agenda by dealing with them in a cabinet committee or in a bilateral meeting with the
relevant minister
-deciding the chair, membership and remit of cabinet committees

48
Q

bilateral meeting

A

A meeting between the prime minister and a departmental minister in which policy is agreed.

49
Q

Policy input

A

The prime minister’s policy-making role is not confined to a specific field. Instead, he or she has licence to get involved in issues across the political spectrum. A prime minister with a strong interest in an issue can give it a central place in the government’s programme.

50
Q

Who is the most important actort when crisies occur?

A

The prime minister is the most important actor when crises occur and takes an active interest in economic and foreign policy. The chancellor and foreign secretary are powerful positions but the prime minister is likely to set objectives, and direct and coordinate policy in these crucial areas.

51
Q

Party leadership

A

The prime minister is leader of the largest party in the House of Commons.

52
Q

public standing

A

The prime minister has a high public profile. He or she provides political leadership at home and represents the UK in international affairs.

53
Q

Public satisfaction

A

Public satisfaction with the prime minister strengthens their position. A prime minister regarded as a strong and effective leader has much greater authority than one perceived as weak or out of touch.

54
Q

Cabinet Ministers

A

The cabinet consists of the senior ministers in the government. The number who can receive a cabinet minister’s salary is limited to 22. The prime minister may also invite ministers to attend cabinet without making them full members of cabinet.

55
Q

Deputy Prime minister

A

The position of deputy prime minister is not a fixed one in UK government and there are no specific powers or responsibilities associated with it.

56
Q

Cabinet committees

A

Sub- committees of the cabinet appointed by the prime minister to consider aspects of government business.

57
Q

Decisions within a cabinet committees

A

-ministerial standing committees, which are permanent
-ministerial sub-committees,
-ad hoc committees, which are temporary committees set up to deal with a particular issue

58
Q

criticisms of cabinet committees

A

Cabinet committees were given greater priority following criticism of Blair’s preference for informal meetings. They were revived as important forums for discussion and resolution of differences in the Conservative– Liberal Democrat coalition and May streamlined the structure in 2016, having just five committees and ten sub-committees.

59
Q

Cabinet office definition

A

A government department responsible for supporting the cabinet system and the prime minister, and managing the civil service.

60
Q

Cabinet system

A

The cabinet and its associated bodies, including cabinet committees and the Cabinet Office.

61
Q

what sets out role and functions of parlaiment and committees

A

the ministerial code and the cabinet manual

62
Q

The functions of Cabinet

A

-registering and ratifying decisions taken elsewhere in the cabinet system
-discussing and making decisions
-receiving reports on key developments and determining government business in parliament
-settling disputes between government departments

63
Q

The main business of the cabinet and cabinet committees concerns

A
  • questions that engage the collective responsibility of government because they raise major policy issues or are of critical public importance
  • matters on which there is an unresolved dispute between government departments
64
Q

Discussing or making decisions on major issues

A

the cabinet remains the ultimate decision-making body in the government. Yet for most areas of government activity, the cabinet is not an important actor in the decision-making process.

65
Q

Discussing or making decisions on major issues role is more significant when

A
  • issues are especially important or sensitive
  • major or unexpected developments require a rapid decision
  • government departments and ministerial committees have been unable to reach agreement
66
Q

Are votes taken on cabinet decions?

A

No

67
Q

Reports on current issues

A

The cabinet hears reports on current developments, allowing ministers to keep abreast of events and discuss policy priorities. Cabinet meetings have a formal agenda, with the following reports as standard:
- parliamentary business
- economic and home affairs
- foreign affairs

68
Q

Parliamentary report

A

In the parliamentary report, the leaders of the House of Commons and House of Lords outline the following week’s business. This reflects the cabinet’s formal role in timetabling government bills and ministerial statements.

69
Q

The role of the court in settling disputes

A

This role as a court of appeal does not always work smoothly. In the 1985 Westland affair, secretary of state for defence Michael Heseltine resigned because he was unhappy with Thatcher’s ruling that cabinet would not hear his appeal against a cabinet committee decision on the award of a defence contract.

70
Q

Collective ministerial responsibility

A

The cabinet is theoretically a united body. Ministers are usually members of the same party who stood on an agreed manifesto at the general election.

71
Q

Collective responsibilty EVAL

A
  • Unity is undermined by departmental and personal rivalries.
  • As well as being members of the government, ministers are also heads of government departments, whose interests they fight for in cabinet.
    -Departments provide ministers with authority, policy advice and technical information, so they may be tempted to act as departmental chiefs rather than members of a collegiate body.
72
Q

Three main elements of collective responsibility

A

-secrecy
-binding decisons
-confidence vote

73
Q

Binding decisions

A

Once a decision is reached in the cabinet system, it becomes binding on all ministers regardless of whether they had opposed it or were not directly involved in decision making. Those unable to accept this should resign or expect to be dismissed.

74
Q

Examples of ministerial resignation over collective responsibility

A
  • Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of state for work and pensions, 2016, opposes cuts to disability benefits in budget
  • Norman Baker, Minister of state Home Office, 2014, opposed policy on home affairs.
75
Q

Exceptions to collective ministerial responsibility

A

Formal exceptions to the concept of collective ministerial responsibility have been agreed by the prime minister and cabinet in exceptional circumstances.

76
Q

What are the exceptions of collective ministerial responsibility

A
  • temporary suspension during referendums
  • coalition
  • free votes
77
Q

Free votes

A

Free votes may be granted to ministers as well as backbench MPs on issues of conscience. Labour’s 1997 election manifesto promised a free vote on legislation to ban fox hunting. Cameron allowed a free vote on the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in 2013. Two cabinet ministers voted against the bill.

78
Q

Strains on collective responsibility

A
  • leaks on cabinet information
  • dissent and non-resignation
  • prime ministerial dominance
79
Q

Individual ministerial responsibility

A

The principle that ministers are responsible to parliament for their personal conduct and that of their department.

80
Q

policy and operations

A

Ministers are responsible for policy, but officials are responsible for day-to-day
operational matters. The head of the UK Border Force, Brodie Clark, resigned in 2011 after border controls were relaxed without ministerial agreement.

81
Q

In what circumstances do minsisters resign?

A
  • mistakes made within departments
  • policy failure
    -personal misconduct
    -political pressure
82
Q

Cabinet government

A

A system of government in which executive power is vested in a cabinet, whose members exercise collective responsibility, rather than a single office

83
Q

Prime ministerial government

A

A system of government in which the prime minister is the dominant actor and is able to bypass the cabinet.

84
Q

Power in cabinet

A

Power is not located inevitably in one or the other; instead it is shared. Decline in the power of the cabinet does not inevitably mean that the prime minister is dominant. Instead, the prime minister needs the support of cabinet ministers and officials to achieve his or her objectives.

85
Q

external factors relating to power

A
  • Political context matters. - Political success
  • Public popularity
  • a large parliamentary majority
  • policy failure
  • divisions within their party
86
Q

Political leadership

A

The exercise of power over public policy making by an individual or institution.

87
Q

PM’s poltical leadership

A

A prime minister’s political leadership skills are also important. Being a good communicator, having vision and political will, and being able to manage colleagues may all contribute to success in the role.

88
Q

Predominant vs pre-eminent PM’s

A

Thatcher and Blair were predominant prime ministers, while Brown and Cameron were pre-eminent.

89
Q

Monopoly of power

A

No prime minister has a monopoly of power: they have to work with ministers and must respond to parliamentary and public opinion. The prime minister leads but does not command the executive, and directs rather than controls its agenda.

90
Q

Presidentialisation

A

The idea that UK prime ministers have taken on some of the characteristics of presidents.

91
Q

Has the prime minister become presidential?

A

Professor Michael Foley argues that the office of prime minister has become more presidential: a de facto British presidency has emerged.

92
Q

There are three trends central to presidentialisation:

A
  • personalised leadership
  • public outrerach
  • spatial leadership
93
Q

Public outreach

A
  • The media spotlight falls on the prime minister to a greater extent than on any other minister.
  • The prime minister is expected to connect with the popular mood.
94
Q

Presidential government

A

A system of government in which a single, directly elected chief executive governs. The executive branch is constitutionally separate from the legislature.

95
Q

Criticisms of the presidential thesis

A
  • misrepresents the nature of power within the core executive.
  • It overstates the room for manoeuvre that a prime minister has and underestimates their dependence on cabinet ministers and their party.
96
Q

Secretary of state

A

A government minister in charge of a major government department, such as health or education.

97
Q

Roles preformed by ministers

A
  • policy leadership
  • representing departmental interest
  • departmental management
    -relations with parliament
98
Q

policy leadership

A

A minister does not have the time or knowledge to play a hands-on role in all detailed policy but plays an important role in policy initiation and selection. Cameron granted ministers greater policy autonomy than was the norm under Blair and Brown.

99
Q

Representing departmental interests

A

Ministers represent the interests of their department in the cabinet. They represent the government in the Council of the European Union.

100
Q

departmental management

A

Ministers play a strategic role in managing their department, setting objectives and shaping the internal distribution of resources.

101
Q

Ministers relations with parliament

A

Ministers steer bills through parlaiment. They are accountable to parliament for decisions taken in their department, answer questions in the House of Commons and appear before select committees.

102
Q

functions of government departments

A
  • providing policy advice to ministers
  • managing public spending
  • fostering relationships with interested parties, such as pressure groups
  • policy implementation
103
Q

Attorney generals office

A

The Attorney General’s Office is the department responsible for providing legal advice to government. The two ministers within it, the Attorney General and the Solicitor General, are known as the Law Officers.

104
Q

Civil servant

A

An official employed in a civil capacity by the Crown, responsible for policy advice or policy implementation.

105
Q

The civil service is a bureaucracy that has a hierarchical structure and has traditionally operated according to four principles:

A
  • impartilaity
  • anonymity
  • permanence
  • meritocracy
106
Q

Impartiality

A

Civil servants serve the Crown rather than the
government of the day. They are expected to be politically neutral and
not become involved in overtly party political tasks.

107
Q

Anonymity

A

Individual civil servants should not be identified as the author of advice to ministers. Some may be called before parliamentary committees, but they give evidence under the direction of ministers.

108
Q

Permanence

A

Civil servants stay in their posts when there is a change of government.

109
Q

Meritocracy

A

Civil servants are not political appointments. Instead, the civil service is staffed by generalists, recruited through competitive exams and interviews.

110
Q

policy making and implementation civil service

A

Civil servants working in Whitehall continue to advise ministers but policy implementation functions and the delivery of public services were transferred to executive agencies.

111
Q

Special Adviser

A

A temporary political appointment made by a government minister.

112
Q

Spin doctor

A

A special adviser employed to promote the image of the minister and his or her policy in the media.

113
Q

Policy Imapct social reform

A

The 1960s was a period of significant social and
cultural change in Britain. Many of these changes occurred autonomously of government, but Wilson’s Labour government also played a key role in changing the legal landscape.

UK Politics condensed (9 decks)

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