GOVP2 - Executive Flashcards
Tomlin Commission on Civil Service definition (1931)
Servants of the Crown, other than holders of political or judicial offices, who are employed in a civil capacity and whose remuneration is paid wholly and directly out of moneys voted by parliament
Bagehot on cabinet
Efficient secret (of system)
2 types of government in terms of leadership
Prime Ministerial or Cabinet government
Example of small cabinets
Heath (1970-74) who used super-ministries with larger areas of policy covered
Benefits of small cabinets
More national interest than departmental battles, more frequent meetings, clearer driving force can be seen by PM
Issues of small cabinets
Cabinet lack experience and ability to represent all wings of party, lack of opportunity for youngers to come up, too much stress on Secretary of State
Importance of unity with PM and Chancellor
Key to avoiding cabinet from dividing and desire contrary objectives
Importance of whip in cabinet
So that votes are lost damagingly in the House and backbenches are not ignored
4 roles of cabinet
Deciding on major policy, tackling major problems, coordinating policies of different departments, planning for long term
Blair on coordination in cabinet of policy
Joined up government
Power of cabinet committees
Equal to that of a cabinet decision so matters not always brought out fully to cabinet for consultation, as they have expertise and time
How have cabinet meeting lengths and frequencies changed?
Decreased from around 100 a year from war down to 40 for Blair, but longer for Callaghan and Major due to leadership style and lack of agreement
What is the role of Cabinet Secretariat?
30-40 members of civil service that organize cabinet meetings before and after they happen, as well as Cabinet Secretary being in cabinet and highest post in civil service
Power of Cabinet Secretary shown in
Richard Crossman saying two men decided on cabinet agenda as well as increased politicisation of Jeremy Heywood
Role of Cabinet Office
1,500 civil service staff to aid cabinet, PM mainly, as well as implementation of reform, and coordination of security and intelligence
Example of emergency cabinet
COBRA meeting with PM, relevant security staff and mayors as well as relevant members of cabinet
What was Cabinet Office for Blair?
‘Dynamic centre’ with PM, CO and Treasury working together with departments
Power of Cabinet Office on advice
Major through to Blair with Units such as Social Exclusion Unit, specific to help PM on that area
4 types of cabinet groups
Inner cabinet, kitchen cabinet (with more political advisors), cabinet committees and bilaterals
2 smaller cabinet groups
Subcommittees and taskforces which work with civil service and experts but without cabinet authority
Most power cabinet committee
Economy and Industrial Strategy Committee
2 types of cabinet committees
Standing committees and ad hoc ones (non-permanent such as Blair’s millennium celebrations)
How did Blair use cabinet committees to his advantage?
Increase power over cabinet with meetings and increased knowledge as a result
Lord Melbourne on collective cabinet responsibility
It doesn’t matter what we say, as long as we all tell the same story
Power of collective cabinet responsibility spreads to
Parliamentary Private Secretaries
Benefits of collective cabinet responsibility
Coherent, seeming in control and no confusion
How has collective cabinet responsibility failed?
Leaking of views by cabinet, thinly-veiled messages in speeches as personal views (Boris Johnson) and in times of disunity open disagreement allowed (Brexit or Callaghan in 1977 allowing such action)
How has Blair changed cabinet?
Rubber stamping decisions made elsewhere rather than actual disagreements discussed, members are more important as heads of department than discussers of policy
Clare Short on Blair cabinet
An increasingly small number of advisors… making decisions without proper discussion
Cabinet Secretary Butler opinion on Blair cabinet
Too many sofa chats and more informality, as a result lack of clarity and not enough meetings between defense and overseas committee on Iraq, disliked unscripted reports in cabinet on Iraq
5 parts of Prime Minister’s Office
Private Office (official engagements), Policy Unit, Political Unit, Press Office and Strategic Communications Unit (spot pitfalls/coordinate minister announcements)
Asquith on PM power
The office of Prime Minister is what its holder chooses and is able to make of it
Why is it key to keep cabinet on side as PM?
Don’t want to end up like Thatcher, and also keeps rivals on side and keeps government strong and seemingly more in control
Reason to keep party on side
Need loyalty to pass votes, as well as avoid revolts against when announced you will step down such as with Blair in 2005
Reason to keep Parliament on side
Can help legitimacy with large decisions such as Brexit or Iraq War vote
5 constraints on PM power
Cabinet, Party, Parliament, events and media hostility
How can the media constrain PM power?
Supportive media of Blair in 1997 and 2001 soured in 2005 creating more general hostility towards government
Power of PM over cabinet in its organization
Organizing cabinet meeting agenda and cabinet committees as well as use of SpAds
Supporters of Prime Ministerial government idea
Crossman (1976) and Mackintosh (1977), cabinet ‘a clearing house and court of appeal’
Example of changing power of a PM
Blair losing it from 2005 with 90 day detention, Iraq and resurgent Tory party
How has Blair changed decision making and PM role?
PMO gives him greater powers as does pre-eminence in shaping policy particularly on foreign matters
How has Blair changed the PM and media?
Use of Alistair Campbell and making policy announcements as staged events rather than in Parliament (shows lack of care)
Foley (2000) on Blair
Support for spatial leadership idea where one is above the fray, like Reagan, but as cabinet is still in constitutional position, the systems are different
Who is the top civil servant in a Department?
Permanent Secretary
Examples of executive agency and department relationship?
Her Majesty’s Prison Service for Home Office, and Jobcentre Plus with DWOP
Example of non-ministerial department
Assets Recovery Agency
Size of Civil Service in 1976, 1999 and 2015
750,000, 460,000, 480,000
Number of leading officials in Civil Service
Around 800
Reason for decreasing Civil Service size
Privatisation, outsourcing and cutbacks
1968 Fulton Report
Calls for removal of ‘cult of the amateur’ in Civil Service
How has civil service recruitment changed?
Less Oxbridge and arts subjects, more minorities
Roles of higher civil servants
Preparing legislation, administration, heling to develop government department’s attitude on policy, implementation
How did policy implementation change under Thatcher?
Civil Service took more leading role
Benefits of permanence
Expertise and ability to be frank without fear of political firing
Issues of permanence
Lack of change at the top so no fresh initiatives
Benefits of neutrality
Makes the system workable as they cannot override democratically taken decisions
Issues with neutrality
Too much of being ‘neutral on the government’s side’ in particular when competing with Special Advisors
Issue of neutrality under Thatcher
As PM she choose top civil servants based on efficiency and support of government
Number of special advisors in 1994 and 2005
34 up to 84
Benefits of anonymity
No identification with a policy (leading to sack in government change of power), ability to be frank without fear of public lambasting
Issues of anonymity
Made hide bad advice as not accountable, no incentive for efficiency, and have become more well known with Select Committees and power over Brexit
Change to Civil Service Code in 2006
Anonymity was taken out as a key clause
Example of non-parliamentary minister
Sir Digby Jones, CBI leader turned Minister of state for Trade and Investment
Number of ministers in health and transport department for Brown
5 and 3
Ministerial Code of 1995
Emphasis on not misleading public
Changes to Civil Service under Thatcher overall
Next Steps programmes based on Ibbs Report, splitting agencies with Chief Executives for implementation, and departments with ministers for policy making
Limits on Minister power with personal issues
Lack of permanency (around 2 years), lack knowledge specifically so no clear objectives, many demands with Cabinet, media and constituency
Limits on Minister power with civil service issues
6 of them versus one of you, lack of control of information compared to civil service (including whistleblowers and leakers) and practiced art of delay of mandarins
Number of Trade and Industry Secretaries of State under Thatcher/Major years
12
What is the traditional public administration model of department relationships?
Civil servants advise, ministers decide, with individual ministerial responsibility taking key importance
What is the adversarial model of department relationships?
Supported by left, where the ‘departmental view’ of civil servants and reluctance to change frustrates left-wing ministers
What is the Whitehall community model of department relationships?
Expertise of civil servant and political work of minister is used together to fight for limited government resources (like with Treasury versus Health), a mutually beneficial relationship
What is the public choice model of department relationships?
New Right thinking where department imperialism leads to growing size of government waste, with civil service leading plan and getting backing from minister
Who put forward the idea of the 4 models of department relationships?
Kevin Theakston (1999)
Dennis Healey (Chancellor in 70s) on civil service
The minister that complains that his civil servants are too powerful is either a weak minister if an incompetent one
Heath on civil service
There is nothing they dislike more than a minister whom they feel is weak, who does not know his mind
Why ‘on tap, but not on top’?
In the end the minister has responsibility so will make own decisions
Number of education ministers and permanent secretaries 1945-2004
27 and 11
Powers of civil servants in terms of relationships and powers
Have interdepartmental relationships like ministers and have power of patronage over those under them
Why are unimportant government departments badly led?
New ministers keep coming and going on their way up the ladder, such as Education Secretary
Benefit and disadvantage of individual ministerial responsibility
MPs have someone to ask about issues to, gives accountability but not at all to permanent secretary, and only a convention
Areas of ministerial responsibility according to Brazier (1988)
Private conduct, general conduct of department and acts done or left undone in government (rarely policy)
Crichel Down Affair
Land acquisitioned during war sold in 50s not to original owner, leading to Agriculture Minister Sir Thomas Dugdale stepping down
Example individual ministerial responsibility under Thatcher
Due to lack of foresight or preparation on Falklands War, even with South Georgia invasion as warning, whole ministerial team and Lord Carrington resigned
Benefit of individual ministerial responsibility for PM
Minister can be fall guy, not PM themselves like with Falklands War
How has individual ministerial responsibility decreased in terms of the news cycle?
If popular MPs will support a minister, and media will accept limited ability of minister to affect certain issues which did not involve them
How has individual ministerial responsibility decreased in terms of ministers ability?
Home Office receives many complaints - minister can’t know all, while agencies give a shield such as with prison riots
Pankhurst gaol break of 1995
Prison governor Derek Lewis and Home Secretary Michael Howard neither took responsibility for matter, creating debate over if personal matters and constitutional department responsibilities are under the ministers power, or just the former
Benefits of individual ministerial responsibility for efficient bureaucracy and opposition
Civil Service know that their mismanagements will have to be answered for in the House, and opposition have individuals that they can criticise to expose departmental failings publicly
Example of ministerial resigning for poor behaviour
Defense Secretary Michael Fallon 2017
Example of ministerial resignation for misuse of power
1998 Peter Mandelson for not disclosing a loan to a fellow minister to facilitate an house purchase, and 2001 for fast-tracking visas for Labour Party donors Hinduja brothers
Example of ministerial resignation for disagreements with government
Robin Cook in 2003 over Iraq War
Why was the Civil Service criticised before 80s reforms?
Elitism disliked by left, barrier to change disliked by radical left and right, civil service needed more expertise for expanding state
How did Thatcher reform the civil service with changes to membership?
Less of them, more cl`osely aligned to New Right thinking, with outsider advisors such as Sir John Hoskyns to bring market values in bureaucracy
How did Thatcher reform the civil service with changes to organisation?
Ibbs Report within the Efficiency Unit led to calls for blocks of executive work to be done by agencies while core civil service work with departments
How did Blair change civil service thinking?
More about achieving end goal, like smaller classroom sizes, than the means of it be it agency or department
How did Blair create a long-term thinking attitude in government?
Performance and Innovation Unit set up to sort out cross-departmental disputes (joined up government) as well as Lord Falconer working within Cabinet Office to make sure goals were long term
How did Blair open up the civil service with fresh ideas?
Change culture of senior servant ‘departmentalitis’ where the department view is taken over the party one, and Millbank New Labour machine with special advisors was brought into the Civil Service
Benefits of special advisors
Give political aspect to problem, particularly when the minister may be easily persuaded by their Permanent Secretary on policy
Mo Mowlam on special advisors
Strong central support and political focus
Issues with special advisors in terms of power
They are seen as unelected ministers
Example of special advisor/Civil Service clash
Jo Moore ‘good day to get out anything we want to bury’ leading to her and civil servant Martin Sixsmith resigning due to political nature
Benefits of special advisors for Civil Service
Gives CW ability to carry out political work without losing neutrality as special advisors can be used
Other from Theakston
Weber’s theory of the ‘dictatorship of the official’
