7.1 - The Structure, Role and Powers of the Executive Flashcards
What is the executive?
The group of MPs / peers that is responsible for running the government.
What are the most important members of the executive?
The PM and cabinet ministers.
What does the cabinet consist of?
- Heads of departments of state (home secretary, foreign secretary, chief whip etc.)
- Junior ministers are also members of the government, although do not often attend cabinet meetings.
Who serves the executive?
Senior civil servants who run administration of the departments of state and implement governmental policies.
Who is the most senior civil servant?
Cabinet secretary.
Who does the PM take advice from?
Key political advisers who work for him.
Who is the core executive?
- The most important members of the government.
- Cabinet, senior civil servants and key political advisers based in the PM’s private office.
What is secondary legislation?
Delegated legislation, the process by which primary legislation can be amended by government departments without requiring another Act of Parliament.
How does the executive govern the nation?
- Proposals for new legislation based on it’s manifesto.
- The ‘doctor’s mandate’.
- Introduces a budget.
- Introduce secondary (delegated) legislation.
What are the sources of power of the PM?
- They have been asked, by the monarch, to form a government on their behalf.
- The PM is almost always the leader of the largest party in the Commons.
- The PM should be a member of the Commons and therefore democratically elected. (Convention)
What is the royal prerogative?
The executive power of the monarchy being transferred to the PM.
As a result of the transfer of the royal prerogative, the PM:
- Determines membership of the government.
- Makes senior appointments to the civil service and judiciary.
- Appointment of life peers to the Lords.
- Negotiation of foreign treaties.
- Direction of military forces in combat.
- Decides whether to launch Trident missiles.
What is the PM the key figure in?
- Casting the narrative of their government.
- Thatcher with free-market principles.
- Cameron with socially liberal principles.
What is a cabinet minister?
- A senior member of government.
- Most members of the cabinet head a department of state and therefore have a major administrative and policy-making function.
- They are bound by collective ministerial responsibility.
What is a government department?
- An executive branch of government.
- Implementation of government policy to administer its areas of interest and control.
