Cabinet government

Question 1

How many ministers in cabinet

Answer 1

29

Question 2

How many meetings a week and how long

Answer 2

Once a week, last around 2/3 hours

Question 3

Name the four key functions of cabinet

Answer 3

1) deciding on policy at home and abroad
2) dealing with unforeseen major problems
3) co-ordinating the policies of different departments
4) planning for the long term

Question 4

Which function of cabinet is usually achieved well

Answer 4

Dealing with unforeseen major problems - here cabinet room A (Cobra) is used, the government must come to a clear response and must be made quickly

Question 5

What function of parliament is often achieved less well than any other

Answer 5

Planning for the long term

It is not achieved because pm has power of patronage and can reshuffle at any point- ministers have no job security- makes it difficult to plan for long term as to occupied with the here and now or unforeseen problems

Question 6

what is the biggest constraint on cabinet

Answer 6

Time- the number of topics that need to be discussed often mean that time spent on each is severely limited

Question 7

How can the PM manipulate the agenda

Answer 7

By putting what could be considered embarrassing or those which could cause a disagreement low on the agenda - with the idea that they would run out of time to discuss it

Question 8

What did Nigel Lawson say about cabinet

Answer 8

“a normal cabinet meeting has no chance of becoming a grave forum of statesman like debate“

“Small wonder that most ministers keep silent on most issues”

Question 9

Name the two types of cabinet committee

Answer 9

Standing committees

Ad hoc committees

Question 10

What is a standing committee

Answer 10

Permanent committee responsible for particular areas of policy such as Northern Ireland the EU and local government

Question 11

What is an ad hoc committee

Name and example

Answer 11

Springs up when necessary includes specific people to meet to solve a specific situation

Cobra is a emergency committee

Question 12

What occurs in a cabinet committee meeting

Answer 12

Important deliberative work is done and committees. They consider issues in more detail than a cabinet meeting

They play an important role in determining and resolve in government policy

Question 13

Explain the term kitchen cabinet

Answer 13

Used to refer to the advisors and other staff at number 10 who form the so-called in a circle around the Prime Minister

Question 14

What are bilateral discussions

Answer 14

Meetings between the Prime Minister and the individual ministers

Question 15

How did Thatcher and tony Blair use bilateral discussions

Answer 15

Use bilateral meetings with individual ministers to determine policy and then use the cabinet to simply announce these decisions

Question 16

What is the cabinet secretariat

Answer 16

A group of 30 to 40 senior civil servant’s which assist in the running of cabinets

they timetable meetings circulate papers prepare the agenda with the Prime Minister

Question 17

What is the job of the cabinet secretary

Answer 17

Minute meetings with the PM
Investigate leaks in govt
Enforce cabinet discipline

Question 18

What is the cabinet government theory

Answer 18

A traditional model of government
Emphasises that power is collective and not personal
Suggests power is located in the cabinet but not all ministers are equal

Underpinned by the concept of cabinet collective responsibility

Question 19

What does cabinet collective responsibility mean

Answer 19

all ministers are collectively responsible to the House of Commons for government policy

They must all support decisions made in cabinet or resign

Question 20

What are the three key aspects of cabinet collective responsibility

Answer 20

Unanimity- ministers must all support cabinet decisions because unity and cohesiveness is vital in portraying a strong and focussed government

Confidence- Cabinet must maintain the confidence of the house

Confidentiality- what is said in cabinet remains in cabinet

Question 21

Advantages of cabinet collective responsibility

Answer 21

✅ensures everyone sings from same hymn sheet- meaning policy is clear and coherent
✅avoids the confusion of when different members of the same administration say different things

Question 22

Disadvantages of cabinet collective responsibility

Answer 22

❌ministers can get around the convention by using coded language or leaking there views

❌in the past cabinets have been allowed to split, eg 2016 eU referendum- where cabinet were allowed to split regarding issues over Europe so to avoid mass resignations

Question 23

What was the consequences for allowing cabinet to split over membership of the European Union in 2016

Answer 23

Cabinet no longer seemed unified, no longer a unanimous decision making body making them appear weak

Question 24

What type of committee meeting did tony Blair favour

Answer 24

Ad hoC and bilateral meetings

Question 25

What was the state of the cabinet during the coalition

Answer 25

Unable to agree of compromises between each of the partners favoured options

Question 26

Three reasons how the cabinet limits prime ministers power

Answer 26

1) the pm is only captain of the team, can easily be replaced, idea of “primula inter pares”
2) a disunited cabinet means that pm cannot get legislation passed- therefore appears weak and loses public support
3) coalition government/ need for compromise has made prime ministers power severely limited

Question 27

Three reasons why the cabinet cannot limit the prime ministers power

Answer 27

1) spatial leadership- leaders deliberately try to make themselves outsiders within government so they can still be part of government but act independently.

2) decisions are made in cabinet committees
Prime minister chairs quite a lot of these- this increases control

3)pm powers of patronage means ministers have to toe the line, pm has ultimate control and can easily reshuffle cabinet

Question 28

What does primus inter pares mean

Answer 28

First among equals