EXTRA-Civil Service Flashcards

1
Q

What does the civil service comprise of?

A

all government departments and executive agencies in Great Britain and includes the Diplomatic Service

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2
Q

How many civil servants were there in 2016 which were full time?

A

315,000

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3
Q

Who is the head of each department of the civil service?

A

a Permanent Secretary

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4
Q

Who were usually those selected for the civil service?

A

those with first class degrees from older and more prestigious universities

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5
Q

Since the 1990’s what has there been a broadening basis of recruitment of? (3)

A
  • increased recruitment of non-oxbrudge universities
  • a movement away from the arts subjects
  • greater scope for women and members of ethnic minorities
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6
Q

What have various enquires into the ‘bias’ of the civli service suggested?

A

that it may not be a conscious preference for a certain type of character, more that younger people with those backgrounds tend to apply to join the civil service

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7
Q

What are 3 qualities of candidates from oxbridge when they perform well in interviews?

A
  • confidence
  • well spoken
  • plenty of savour faire
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8
Q

in 2016 what % of civil servants were from an ethnic minority background?

A

11.2%

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9
Q

What % of civil servants were between 30-59?

A

80%+

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10
Q

What are the 4 core roles of the higher civil service who work in Whitehall?

A
  • preparing legislation
  • administration
  • helping to develop the departments attitudes and work
  • policy implementation/management
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11
Q

How do higher civil servants perform the role of preparing legislation?

A

they draw up answers to parliamentary questions

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12
Q

How do the higher civil servants perform the role of administration?

A

they oversee and carry out the day to day work of the department

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13
Q

What may be involved when the higher civil servants perform the role of administration when they oversee and carry out the day to day work of the department?

A

meeting up with representatives of pressure groups ro dealing with difficult, non routine practical problems

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14
Q

What are the 3 doctrines of the higher civil service?

A
  • Impartiality
  • Permanence
  • Neutrality
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15
Q

unlike the US what do the civl servants not do at election time?

A

they do not change

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16
Q

What is the permanence of the civil service associated with?

A

experience and continuity

17
Q

What does permanence coupled with confidentiality mean for civil servants?

A

that they can speak frankly to ministers without fear of dismissal

18
Q

What could the permanence, which means ‘no change at the top’ mean?

A

that the civil service is stifled from fresh thinking and new initiatives

19
Q

What does it mean by neutrality?

A

officials are required to be politically impartial , not letting their personal political leanings affect their actions

20
Q

Why would it be difficult for the civli servants to remain in office?

A

if they were partisan

21
Q

What have some political observers claimed the British civil service to have become in the last decade of the 20th century?

A

increasingly politicised

22
Q

Why do some critics argue that neutrality puts it too strongly?

A

as civil servants are expected to further the policies of the elected government

23
Q

Who are special advisers?

A

these are advisers who are appointed to provide political advice, assessment and support to ministers, offering an alternative perspective to those provided by civil servants

24
Q

IN what 2 decades was there an increase of the number of special advisers?

A

1980’s and 1990’s

25
Q

How is the PM supposed to appoint senior civil servants?

A

from a handful of shortlisted candidates purely on the basis of merit without political consideration

26
Q

Which PM exercised their powers of patronage to select senior civil servants who were efficient managers and who were sympathetic to the governments aims?

A

Margret Thatcher

27
Q

What is the role of civil servants under anonymity?

A

to offer confidential advice in secret

28
Q

What would be endangered if civil servants became public figures?

A

this would endanger their reputation for neutrality as they could be identified with a particular policy

29
Q

Other than being identified by the public with a particular policy, what might also prevent civil servants from offering frank advice to ministers?

A

if they knew they could be named

30
Q

What are 3 disadvantages of anonymity

A
  • conceal poor advice
  • give less incentive for officials to improve their effectiveness
  • shield them from consequences of any inadequacy
31
Q

How have civil servants become less anonymous?

A

they are more recognisable from investigatory reports and they appear before select committees of the HOC