PM Flashcards
1
Q
What are the 4 great offices of state?
A
PM, Chancellor, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary
2
Q
Current 4 great offices of state
A
PM - Sunak
Chancellor - Jeremy Hunt
Home sec - James Cleverly
Foreign Secretary - David Cameron
3
Q
what are prerogative powers?
A
Legal powers used under the royal prerogative are those which do not require parliamentary authority
4
Q
PM’s prerogative powers
A
- power to appoint ministers
- reorganise government depts
- commit armed forces to action
- agree treaties
- awarding honours/peerages
5
Q
Treaties conditions
A
available to parliament for 21 days for debate after signed by PM
6
Q
problem with prerogative powers
A
they are arbitrary and not well defined, so the PM can go around them or change definition
7
Q
what constitutes a presidential prime minister?
A
- the PM being at the forefront of legislation rather than the party they represent
- sidelined cabinet
- elected by the people so has power
- unitary country not federal so all power for the entire nation rests on their hands
examples of presidential PMs: Blair, Thatcher
8
Q
why is the PM NOT becoming presidential?
A
- recent coalitions - Cameron-Clegg, and power sharing of Tories and DUP
- held to account by parliament - May and Johnson votes of no confidence
- usually, cabinet governments such as Cameron, Brown and May
- nation figurehead remains the monarch not the PM
9
Q
PM has too much power
A
- responsible for whole nation with parliamentary sovereignty
- choose their cabinet + CMR
- uncodified constitution + IMR
