Executive Flashcards

Question

Kitchen cabinet

Answer 1

PM has confidents and some have extensive use of them for advice or decision-making (bypassing cabinet?) e.g Thatcher-Press Secretary Ingham, Powell (friend), Tebbit and Ridley (Thatcherite MPs), Walters (free market econ+LSE director) Coalition-quad (core of power). Cameron, Osborne, Clegg and Alexander. 4 key players seen as driving and managing coalition agenda and tensions w/in govt.

Answer 2

Support govt w/ media, political or policy expertise. Assist and advise govt ministers. Freq career stage for young politicians before becoming MPs-attracted criticism e.g Clegg, Cameron and Milliband 2015 all SPADs previously Johnson initially employed: Cummings as chief advisor (broke COVID rues, doesn't get fired or resign), Mirza as chief policy advisor (resigned after PM went against her advice and brought office into disrepute-Starmer failed to prosecute Saville)

Answer 3

'Office of PM is what its holder chooses, and is able to make of it' Aqsquith Different PMs follow dif styles because way in which PM behaves is subject to considerable ext pressure, which varies from time to time, and which affects type of leadership style

Answer 4

Innovators-battle to be PM (Thatcher) , get party on side (Blair), create change Reformers-party not PM vision . PM just forefront, driving party agenda e.g Attlee Egoists-want power of PM for themselves. Do anything to protect position, focused on career e.g Johnson Balancers-keep things mainly same, stability, avoid social divide e.g Major Weakness-distinction drawn too starkly, too rigid (PMs are fluid)

Answer 5

May-obsessive on detail, didn't let others get involved. Relied on small group of advisors e.g Timothy until 2017 GE, didn't get people sufficiently involved during Brexit including brexit secretary Blair-sofa govt (bilateral meetings, pref meeting w/ individuals)

Answer 6

Privy council set up to advise monarchs Developed 19th century and under hanoverian monarchs, met reg w/o monarch present. Cabinet become distinct body, monarch determined membership Widening of franchise and growth of parliament, cabinet broke free of monarch control 19th century. Weren't as many govt depts back then

Answer 7

Most sr ministers (20-25) Cabinet govt-central policy making body Used to rep collective identity of govt All imp domestic/many foreign decisions made w/in cabinet Any disputes w/in govt resolved in cabinet PM is meant 1st among equals so therefore can be outvoted. However cabinet meets 1x a week for 1-1.5hrs so not enough time of this

Answer 8

Current: Simon Case Most sr civil service advisor to PM and cabinet. Support and advise on running of cabinet+their committees and to support govt in reaching collective agreement on policies Often act as one of PM's advisors on working of govt and maj policy decisions Work closely w/ sr ministers, advising PM on priority issues and ensuring rest of civil service work to deliver these priorities Other roles include: PM can call on them to advise on adherence to ministerial code, manage sr civil servants, leading reform/improvement of CS, rep CS externally Not always combined w/ CS PM can appoint directly but usually interview range of candidates overseen by 1st CS commissioner

Answer 9

Formal policy approval-don't do detailed decision making but gives approval to policies Policy co-ord e.g HS2-main dept transport but also DEFRA (enviro), Treasury (oversight) and levelling up agenda Resolve disputes-disputes ironed out. Some depts may have conflicting views e.g HS2=protests (home office might want police removal, defra might say no) and Defra-affects envirp Party management-dif factions of party rep, keep them in check. Big beasts in key positions Symbol of collective govt-symbolic role. Image of unity

Answer 10

PM become more sign Some depts bogger than others e.g Home office-policing, prison, PREVENT. Some now more imp than others-bigger voice Cabinet more of a place to report work of dept to, cabinet involvement minimal. Ceremonial Downing street more imp-shift of policy making powers. Extending PM control, subverts any real cabinet power Business on bilateral basis mostly. Agreements reached pre-meeting then present decision at meeting

Answer 11

Supports PM and ensures effecting running of govt. Ensures effective development co-ord and implementation of policy. Blair criticised heavily for fusing cabinet together w/ political office, thus 'politicising' civil service

Answer 12

Hennessey-engine room of govt. Where work is done Lawson-cabinet merely forum for approving decisions 'already taken elsewhere' PM picks who chairs each one. Blair chaired >1/2, desire to tightly control policy formulation Clegg during coalition chaired sig no National security-PM. Global Britain-PM, deputy Steven Berkley Johnson chairs vast maj Occasionally operation delegated e,g Climate Action Programme chair-COP26 president. Only wants to be on committees to control agenda. Influence and control Coalition-extensive use of these. Had to in order to create unity+whole coalition approval 2015 cameron-more implementation taskforce (deliver policies). Less decisions need to be made June 2016-much less use of committees (relied on small group of MPs/advisors)

Answer 13

PM dom-posts determined by them, members must stay loyal Most decisions made in committees Shorter and stage managed-not enough time to do work Large depts more indy, lack of cohesion in govt More decisions made bilaterally Much of decision making moved to 10 Downing Street Organisation

Answer 14

Relationship between PM and Cabinet become so one sided they are effectively a president The PM has NOT become a president but instead exhibits characteristics of a president e.g Foley's Presidential thesis 1993 and British Presidency

Answer 15

Constitutional and political sep of powers Leg and executive sep (in hands of president). Elected sep and at dif times President is head of govt and state Cabinet members appt by and accountable to president-not directly elected politicians President can't get rid of leg (fixed term elections) or be removed by it (impeachment). Has never been a successful impeachment e/g Nixon not impeached over watergate but did resign

Answer 16

No constitutional and political sep of powers UK elects parliament, executive is a by-product

Answer 17

Distance between themselves and rest of govt e.g Thatcher felt separate from govt, Johnson understanding of people facing difficulties due to NI protocol despite the fact he delivered the deal Tories have done this to sep from Thatcher legacy to gain broader public appeal e.g Cameron-compassionate conservative

Answer 18

PM seeks to show themselves as outsiders w/in party and govt e.g Thatcher-female card, dif background to traditional tories Blair-lack of deep roots in Labour May couldn't do this as she couldn't play female card and had been home secretary, making it hard to say she is one when she clearly isn't

Answer 19

Ability to connect directly w/ electorate and appear to be figurehead of nation e.g Thatcher-Iron Lady Blair and Cameron to a degree appeared to be above party and Parliament (Blair did some TV debates in run up to Iraq war against public, normally would put argument through Parliament instead) Johnson-COVID briefings, sometimes on own in office, spoke to country directly

Answer 20

Modern UK politics mirrors US by placing greater emphasis on leader e.g Blair created narrative of strong, effective leader as an alternative to dull, weak and ineffective Major Johnson-alternative to May and Corbyn (May brexit position unclear-in favour of single and customs market, NI protocol? Unsure whether corbyn was actually a remainer, limited role in remain campaign). He will get Brexit done, deal is 'oven ready'

Answer 21

Thatcher's cabinet didn't support her in leadership challenge Blair pushed out by Brownites-forced to say he'll resign in a year May didn't develop space between her and govt, unpopular, previously home secretary, lacked electoral mandate Cameron-coalition, forced to compromise with Lib Dems. Clegg got say over some of the cabinet Brown had no electoral mandate, lost dominance, almost like caretaker leader until next labour leader. However he led the world during global recession (handled it well) People can appear presidential but pms still constrained