4.2 - The Relationship Between The Executive And Parliament

Question 1

What is an elective dictatorship

Answer 1

A government that dominates parliament, due to a large majority and therefore has few limits on its power

Question 2

What did conservatives politician lord halisham argue about the power of a gov

Answer 2

• the only real check on executive power is the periodic holding of a general election, in between, the executive can do more or less anything it wants, even introducing irreversible changes

Question 3

What’s an example of governments more or less being able to do what they want

Answer 3

• in the 2003 Blair gov ( elected 2 years earlier on 40% of vote), first attempted to abolish the post of lord chancellor without prior consultation, then carried out drastic remodelling of the office in 2005 constitutional reform act
• David Cameron was backed by leaders of labour and Lib Dem’s to devolve more power to Scotland if referendum in 2014 was rejected

Question 4

What combination of factors lead to elective dominance

Answer 4

• The FPTP system delivers single-party gov and sometimes gets benefit of a large parliamentary majority based on a small share of the popular vote
• whip system and PM use of patronage reinforces party loyalty and discipline
• the use of the Salisbury convention and the parliaments acts to limit opposition to a gov’s programme from HOL.

Question 5

What are the 3 main ways parliament will hold the executive to account

Answer 5

• parliaments influence over gov legislation
• parliament scrutiny of over gov activities
• parliaments ability to remove governments and ministers

Question 6

What influence does parliament have over gov legislation

Answer 6

• parliamentary rebellions have become more common, but defeats for gov measures are rare. Blair didn’t lose one til after 2005, when his majority dropped by 100 seats.
• more commonly, a gov which fears defeat will withdraw a law they want introduced.
• sometimes opposition can compel a PM to allow a free vote, eg Cameron in 2013, half his Conservative Party didn’t want same sex marriage legalised, but he won the vote bcs of support from Labour Party
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Question 7

How does parliament scrutinise other government activities

Answer 7

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Question 8

What ability does parliament have to remove governments and ministers

Answer 8

• in theory, commons can remove a gov by issuing a vote of no confidence, but this happened since march 1979
• even if it were to happen, the fixed term parliaments act allows a PM who looses a vote of no confidence 2 weeks to form a new gov

Question 9

In what ways has given control over parliament reduced

Answer 9

• increased amount of rebellions
• gov have accepted restrictions on the exercise of certain prerogatives such as right to authorise military action, fixed terms act removed PM power to choose date of a general election unless they get support of 2/3 of MPs
• crestion of backbench committee in 2010 gives backbench MPs more control over choice of topics for debate
• select committees have grown in status

Question 10

In what ways do the government still retain a large degree of control over parliament

Answer 10

• power of whips and PM patronage
• Gov retains number of powers, including right to change laws using secondary legislation
• gov controls greater part of legislative schedule
• ministers can obstruct select committees from summoning officials to their hearings
• the Lords usually refers to the will of the elected house after a period of ‘parliamentary ping pong)

Question 11

What changes in recent decades have limited executive dominance over parliament

Answer 11

• intro of wright reforms, making executive more accountable to parliament and increasing power of backbenchers
• one key wright reform was making select committees chairs elected by their fellow MPs in a secret ballot within party groups, making scrutiny of executive more effective

Question 12

How has the reformed house of lords limited executive dominance over parliament

Answer 12

• reform has made it more professional and independent, no longer has a built in conservative majority
• more professional as many are ex pro politicians who are able to provide leadership in HOL EG: Lord Andrew Adonis is a labour peer who served as Secretary of State for transport under Gordan brown
• as life peers aren’t elected, less pressure to vote along party lines, leading to more defeats for gov in HOL then HOC, EG: Blair defeated 4 times in HOC but 353 times in HOL