Executive Flashcards
Role of the executive as a whole?
1) Proposing legislation
2) Proposing a budget
3) Running the country
The roles of the cabinet
- Making formal decisions
- Coordinating government policy
- Providing a forum
- Managing parliamentary business
- Managing emergencies
Reasons for why the cabinet IS still important?
- Cabinet discusses the government’s general strategy and goals
- In some circumstances, the Cabinet makes key decisions (e.g. whether to hold an election in 2017)
- Dealing with emergencies (COBRA)
Reasons for why the Cabinet ISN’T still important?
- PMs rely less on their Cabinet for policy advice, preferring to use special advisors
- That Cabinet tends to meet for less time now and tends to rubber stamp decisions
- A Cabinet united behind its PM gives a PM enormous power
Name a few Cabinet committees?
- National Security Council
- Home affairs committees
- Social Justice Committees
Collective Responsibility?
The convention requires that they all stick to an agreed policy and do not question it in public
Why is ‘Collective Responsibility’ necessary?
- It ensures ministers present a united front against opposition
- It means that discussions inside the Cabinet remain private and disagreement remains confidential
- It can enhance prime ministerial power by silencing critics within the government
Factors affecting the PMs powers?
- Personality
- Events
- Media
- Opposition
- Popularity
Why do EVENTS affect the PMs powers?
Even the most powerful PM can be derailed by an unexpected event, which can turn everything on its head
How does the PMs PERSONALITY affect its powers?
If the PM is charismatic or not? This affects their ability to persuade colleagues and the electorate
OPPOSITION affecting the PMs powers
A weak opposition allows the PM to be more dominant
What is Legal responsibility?
- Ministers are responsible for all that goes on within their own department, whether or not they are directly concerned
- They must give accurate info, if knowingly misled govt, resign
- PM decides how long a minister remains in office
What is Political responsibility?
Ministers are responsible for their own personal conduct. Depends on
- how serious an issue is,
- how critical Parliament is about the matter, media response
- how the PM responds to the issue
Individual ministerial responsibility
Ministers have a responsibility for their own conduct in office as well as to parliament. There are two distinct strands to IMR: legal and political
CMR effective: relating to Boris Johnson ‘living with COVID plan’?
Fierce debate between Rishi Sinai and Sajid Javid about the plan to remove free LFTs. Whilst they disagreed on this issue, both supported it in public. Strengthening the government
