Core-Executive

Question 1

What key areas does the PM have influence in ?

Answer 1

1. Power of patronage
2. Authority in the cabinet system
3. Public Standing
4. Policy-making input
5. Prime Ministers Office
6. Cabinet Office

Question 2

What are the main theories of Executive Power ?

Answer 2

Bagehot- Cabinet Government, PM ‘first amongst equals’.
Hennessey- Cabinet committees are the ‘engine rooms’ of government
Crossman, Dowding, Madgwick - Prime minister is dominant
Smith- Core-Executive Theory
Jones- Elastic Band theory- Power is dynamic
Foley, Webb- Presidentialisation theory

Question 3

Argument

Answer 3

Best Theory= Core-Executive, but this is because the Prime minister has so much power to mould the role of PM that it is impossible to sort all previous pm’s into one box because their leadership changed so much.

Kitchen cabinet/ Ability to form a sofa government shows power of the PM. Real power lies within PM, and cabinet committees if the pm allows it.

PM has to be strong with media and party unity, this has it constraints as we have seen with cabinet rebellion/loss of support : Brown, Blair, Thatcher.

Question 4

Blair’s Executive

Shows: Direct attempt to distance from Major’s government, which in turn shows how conscious the pm has become of the media/image.

Answer 4

Reasserted central government
Promoted ‘Joint Up’ Government
Set targets for policy implications and service delivery
special government task force set up to promote the coordination of policies.
Bilateral ‘Sofa Government’ bypassed cabinet informal shows only conventional to consult cabinet.
Cabinet Office grew to 2,500
Order to allow cabinet office to instruct civil service
Created strategy and deliverance Units in cabinet office
Fused PMO and CO
Took control of NI peace process
Leadership Stretch and spatial leadership

But- lost support of anti-terrorism bill in 3rd term

Brown- Chancellor Treasury
Set up the ‘Comprehensive Spending Review’ and public service agreements
Blair announced health spending changes without consulting Blair
Eventual loss of authority over Iraq

Question 5

Differentiated Polity Model

Answer 5

Rod Rhodes
Hollowing out of the state
Different actors rely upon each other, all competing for power.
Policy Communities- small groups with more power
Issue networks- Larger body of network actors

Question 6

Asymetric Power Model

Answer 6

Power remains within the core, but branched out as they are interdependent.

Question 7

Brown’s government

Answer 7

Failed to call an election: Seen as weak as he never regained from the loss of popularity in 2007
Stopped informal meetings because he saw how this had hindered Blairs gov.
Portrayed himself as dictatorial and impotent which cemented his inability to deal with people.
Expenses scandal reflected badly on him 2009.
Forced to back down over 10p tax rate.

Question 8

Dowding’s Argument

Answer 8

The powerful forces that a PM has make the PM more like a PM than President so it is inaccurate because of institutional differences.

PMO
PM already strong
Centralisation of office
Personalisation is a separate process

US- President doesn’t lead policy in the same way.
British ministers more effected by how their leader is seen than in the US where they are seen as separate: incomparable.

The Personalisation of the PM has moved them further from the US as the local candidates become less important in the UK.
Not a linear process, i.e. Blair featured more in 1997 campaign than in 2005 ( this supports core-executive model.)
General effect of media has been misinterpreted as presidentialisation when it really effects all mp’s, e.g. can tarnish mps standing Enoch Powell Edward heath sacked and can damage pms standing.

Institutionalisation
PM has ability to restructure exec unlike Pres.
Centralisation of government press machine
Increasing importance of cabinet committees
More centralised, Blair increased pmo and co, Heath set up central policy review.
More flexible constitution: Blair and Thatcher dominated to avoid disunity but pm has always had power to do this.

US- incomparable
Congress suggest legislature with little imput from the executive
e.g. Congressional Quarterly: only 80-90% legislature agreed upon e.g. Obamas health care bill
Less Veto players in the UK
PMs are chosen by electorate so they will automatically have more power to pass legislature .

Question 9

Camerons Executive

Answer 9

Constraint: Wanted to distance himself from the ‘freakery’ which was Blair’s government control.
Withdrew over EU

Spatial leadership
Majority
Presidentialisation

Question 10

Thatcher

Answer 10

Preffered planning to be through the PMO
Contacted cabinet committees before cabinet discussion, brought to cabinet already decided
This allowed her to cement her authority when she had little of it.

Had to include ‘wets’ in first term of cabinet
Poll Tax , suggested by ministers who thought she would approve of it despite admitting their reservations shows pandering to her ideas

Ultimate loss: Not in cabinet although she lost support, was through being unable to appeal to the electorate and parliament through unpopularity of the poll tax when party was divided.
Too much power, went off her game, over dominant
81 and 90 cabinet revolts

Question 11

Camerons Coalition

Marked by constraint to present harmony

Answer 11

Has given staff more influence on policy but has been brutal in putting down if they are unpopular.
Strained by coalition
the ‘Quad’ more informal meetings
Revival of Core-Executive, out of no choice
Lack of power to pass legislature

Question 12

Webb and Pguntke’s argument

Answer 12

Executive: Enhancing power sources recently

Party: Less constrained by party
Criticism: Not comparable since US candidates seen as separate, UK have to follow leader, also gives PM more power because they have more support in parliament.

Electorate: Personalisation of politics

Question 13

Foley: Presidentialisation

Answer 13

Argument
Spatial leadership, Blairs personal mandate backed by the Sun, responsible for Iraq, personal advisors consolidates leadership

Ignores restraints on PM
Criticisms:
Foley exaggerates Blair’s power, John Prescott was influential in dropping clause 4 and given influence of environment department, and Brown as treasury.
Thatcher- was constrained in first term by cabinet though she later grew.
President and party are separate, no responsibility to the pres in US doesn’t reflect badly on Trump.
Executive branch isn’t fused like UK.

Question 14

Bagehot

Answer 14

Cabinet gov
First amongst Equals
Indirect Government
Outdated

Question 15

Crossman

Answer 15

Elective Dictatorship Hailsham

President Dominates

Question 16

Smith 1963

Answer 16

Core-executive
Recognises that power is changing and dynamic interplay
PM has to acknowledge that they are dependent and depended upon to succeed
Acknowledges the importance of the civil service

Question 17

Power of the Party

Answer 17

Mutual relationship

Can make the pm stronger or weaker, if united or disunited.

Question 18

Power of the electorate

Answer 18

Foley’s theory is most true here
Spatial Leadership
Sources of power if electorate support means that party will support pm and will be able to push through legislation, but does give more responsibility to the electorate i.e. Harold Wilson pinned success to the value of the pound which failed and had to announce this to the electorate via media.

Question 19

Power of the lack of departmental duties

Answer 19

Thatcher can cherry pick departments
However means pm is shelved all responsibility for disputes of the committees.
E.g. Landsleys Health bill was controversial and had to start a ‘listening’ period before it came into act with reform, had little consultation with the cabinet and looked badly on Cameron’s image as he was sheleved with dispute.

Question 20

Prime Ministers Office

Answer 20

Power has increased
Makes PM seem power house of gvmt
Blair: 200 directly to the pm
Not a policy making body

Question 21

Majors executive

Answer 21

Inspired Core-Executive Theory
Dogged by divisions over EU
Showed collegiate doesn’t work, made him look like a product of weakness: Media

Question 22

Power of Patronage

Overall: limited

Answer 22

Can appoint cabinet
Civil service, BBC , military
Reorganise Positions
Dismiss Ministers

Dismissing can awaken disputes, e.g. Macmillan’s night of long knives appeared weak to the public
Usually has to include ministers out of claims for inclusion
Honours committee have scrutinised the power of pm to do this
Desirability of balance in the executive: Include the opposition to stop rise of opposition
Media and parliament Backlash if appoints only friends

Question 23

Authority of the Cabinet System

Large but capped

Answer 23

Chairs Cabinet Meetings
Determines outcomes of cabinet discussion - Iraq butler inquiry found that information had not been given to the cabinet about the weapons.
Holds bilateral meetings
Appoints cabinet committees
Restructures Government: Merging of press operations of number 10 and cabinet office.
Irresistible source of power for pm: Big Society

meetings are infrequent
Requires cabinet support on issues to make a decision
Senior ministers have authority and departmental resources and so may challenge authority.
Not involved in detailed policy making, may already be decided by the time it reaches cabinet

Question 24

Party Leadership

Large but can be limited

Answer 24

Leader of largest party
Elected by MPs so already has support and double support of electorate

Support of party not unconditional: Blair and Thatcher
Backbench rebellions are possible
PMs like Blair and May not as much legitimacy.

Question 25

Public Profile

Can work in favour or to detriment

Answer 25

Represents UK worldwide 
High profile 
Speaks for nation in crises 
PMQ's 
Blair and Thatcher consolidated their standing 

Unpopularity can undermine authority: Iraq
Poll rating will decline after honeymoon period

Question 26

Policy Making Input

Answer 26

Sets agenda, directs gov policy
Can get involved in any gov policy area
Political rewards of policy success

Associated with policy failure
Lacks time and detailed knowledge for all departments
Thus lacks resources of gov departments

Question 27

Prime Ministers Office

Answer 27

Provides Independent Advice and Support
Blair: 200

Has limited resources
Other departments have their own interests , incl Civil service who have ideas about their areas and rationally pursue self interest of them

Question 28

Civil Service

Can help or hinder PMs power, usually hinder

Answer 28

Blurred relationship with politics

• Ministers can’t make all policy decisions
• ministers decisions based on civil service advice
• Politically biased/ self interest

Reforms:
John Major’s Citizens Charter gave code of conduct reducing power.

Question 29

Butlers Report on Iraq War 2004

Answer 29

Showed that collective decision making was outdated
New Security government had too many important roles in government
Excessive concentration at the top

Question 30

Kavanagh

Answer 30

‘Nor can it be said that mrs Thatcher destroyed cabinet government, but she certainly bypassed it and weakened it’
Cabinet ‘Most important decisions are made’

Question 31

Hennessey

Answer 31

‘Cabinet committees are the engine rooms of government’

Question 32

Madgwick

Answer 32

‘The PM is always consulted, not so the cabinet’

Question 33

Lawson

Answer 33

‘Cabinet rubber stamps decisions taken elsewhere’

Question 34

Benn

Answer 34

‘The PM is a medieval Monarch living in number 10’

Question 35

Asquith

Answer 35

‘The PMs role is what the PM chooses to make of it ‘

Question 36

Decline of Cabinet

Answer 36

Collective Responsibility has faded, as each have own department, coalition allowed different views on education, resignation rare.
Usually just ratifies policy taken elsewhere
Decline since 1979, abolition of Lord Chancellor role, don’t meet very often and scale of the detailed policy shows that cabinet does not have time to implement all policy.
Next step Agencies: Created by hiving off civil service work to separate agencies