executive Flashcards
what does the acronym CAFE stand for?
c- cabinet chair
a-appoint ministers
f-foreign policy leader and commander in chief
e-election caller
what does the PMs role as cabinet chair mean?
sets agenda, chair meeting, write minutes and organize cabinet committees
what does the PMs role as appoint minister mean?
The PM can appoint ministers, judges, peers and other public posts (e.g. chair of the BBC)
what does PMs role as election caller meam?
The PM has the power to call an early general election
how many ministers are in the Cabinet?
20
how much do MPs currently earn (Jan 25)
£86,000
who is the top civil servant?
the Cabinet Secretary
who is the only non minister that attends the cabinet meetings?
the cabinet secretary
what is the average time someone spends in the cabinet?
2 years
what is the role of the cabinet? (6 roles)
- in emergencies PM may call cabinet (COBRA is emergency group)
- helps PM formulate how to present policy to the party
- final court of appeal in disputes between departmental ministers
- settle parliamentary timetable issues
- acts as a ‘rubber stamp for official policy’
- support PM or remove them
what is meant by the cabinet being a ‘rubber stamp’ for official policy?
usually the detail is decided in smaller cabinet committees or informally between cabinet ministers
the formal powers all PMs enjoy:
- appointing ministers
- appointing judges and peers
- granting other honors
- chairing of cabinet, including setting the agenda
-foreign policy ledaer
-commander in chief - signing foreign treaties and international agreements
- ability to call an early election
- power to recall Parliament
informal powers of the PM
- controlling and setting government policy
- controlling and setting the legislative agenda
- economic leadership
- media focus and platform
- national leadership in time of crises
the top 4 ministerial jobs
- Prime Minister
- Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Foreign Secretary
- Home Secretary
how often does the Cabinet meet?
once a week, usually on a Thursday
how long are the Cabinet proceedings secret for?
30 years
what convention is the Cabinet bound by?
collective responsibility
what are the powers of the UK government?
- legitimizing government policy
- setting the legislative agenda
- supporting the PM
- deciding on government policy
what power does the PM have over the Cabinet, Government and Civil Service?
- controls the number and timing of Cabinet Meeting
- control Cabinet Agendas and Minutes
- controls who speaks in Cabinet
- decide on make-up and structure of Cabinet Committees
what does the cabinet often contain which acts as a check on the PM
potential rivals to the PM
how many votes was Theresa Mays’s Brexit Deal defeated by?
230
when was the last time Parliament passed a Vote of No Confidence?
1979- James Callaghan
name one limit of Party
- backbench rebellion, they can weaken the PM’s authority and can sometimes lead to their removal
who did Gordon Brown struggle to engage with?
the media
