Executive Flashcards
1
Q
What are the main roles of the Prime Minister?
A
- Making governments
- Hire and fire extends to cabinet and other ministers
- Directing government policy
- Providing national leadership
2
Q
What is the Prime Ministers Office?
A
- Central administrative body that supports the Prime Minister in governing and decision making
3
Q
What are special advisers?
A
- Support ministers, represent their views to civil servants and journalists
- Can be policy experts or media advisers
- 15.9 million spent a year
4
Q
Features of the Cabinet?
A
- Meet on average once a week
- 20-30 senior politicians
- Contains secretaries of state
- Forum of debate
- policy coordination between departments
- Party management
- Lose the cabinets support your done
5
Q
What is formal policy approval?
A
- Cabinet says yes it’s policy
- However, PM can sideline the cabinet
6
Q
What are Cabinet comittees?
A
- Groups of ministers that can take collective decisions that are binding across government
7
Q
Features of Cabinet committees?
A
- Reduce burden of cabinet
- Take decisions on specific policy areas
- Prime Minister can create or abolish committees at will
8
Q
What determines PM power?
A
- Party unity
- Majority
- Mandate
- First - term government
- Prime Ministerial coat-tails (Winning on the PM not party)
- Low salience of issues
- Media image
- State of economy
9
Q
What is a Cabinet Government?
A
- Traditional view that power is collective not personal (individual)
- Cabinet is the central decision making
10
Q
Main characteristics of Cabinet government?
A
- PM is first among equals not domineering
- Cabinet is a place of discussion and debate
- Any disputes in gov would be dealt in cabinet
- Cabinet must approve new policy
11
Q
What does a Cabinet Government say about exec power?
A
- No PM can survive without a cabinet
- PM’s authority is linked to the backing they receive from the big beasts in cabinet
12
Q
What is a Prime Ministerial Government?
A
- Principle alternative to Cabinet Government
13
Q
Characteristics of Prime Ministerial Government
A
- PM dominates policy making process
- Cabinet is a subordinate body, source of advise
- Greater use of cabinet committees
- PM dominates party
- PM relies on bi-laterals with key ministers to make decisions
14
Q
What does the Prime Ministerial Government model tell us about exec power?
A
- Acknowledges the cabinet is no linger the key policy making model
- highlights the PM power since 45
15
Q
What is the Presidential Theory?
A
- PM increasingly resembles American presidents
- Emphasises PM dominance over Cabinet
16
Q
Characteristics of Presidential Theory?
A
- Growth of spatial leadership
- Populist outreach - reach out directly to the public not the parties
- Elections is about the person not the party (personal mandates)
- Wider use of advisers, rely on hand picked political advisers rather than cabinet ministers
17
Q
What does Presidential Theory tell us about executive power?
A
- Stresses the growth of personalised leadership
- Growing political significance of the media
18
Q
What is the important thing to remember about the Presidential Theory?
A
- Constitutionally we do not have a president!
19
Q
A
