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English Politics A-Level AQA > PM and Cabinet > Flashcards

PM and Cabinet Flashcards

1
Q

What Must a Prime Minister Command to pass Legislation

A

A Majority in Parlaiment

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2
Q

Can PM put Politices into Action?

Give an Example of a Manifesto Promise

A

2017 Conservatives promise working parents of 3 and 4 year olds 30hours free child care a week intead of 15

  • Only those earning less than 100k would be eligible
  • Scheme in Operation by September 2017
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3
Q

Can PM put policies into Action?

Outcome of Referendums

A

Brexit: 2016 election - leave wins 52% - 48%

  • Cameron Resigns - May takes over
  • May believes it is her democratic duty but hard to implement policy she herself doesn’t agree with
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4
Q

Can PM put policies into Action?

Personal Convictions of PM:

A

Margaret Thatcher had strong pre-existing ideas
-Property-owning Democracy

  • Council house tenants given ‘Right to Buy’ (Housing Act 1980) which allowed them to buy houses at a lower rate from councils
  • 1981 - England and Wales had 5.4m households in social housing - by 1991, only 4.5m
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5
Q

Can PM put policies into Action?

Results of Deals with other Parties

A

Coaltion (2010) produces hung parliament leads to comprimise between manifestos

  • Lib Dems want referendum on voting systems - Propsed FPTP - AV
  • Comms don’t want this (AV benfits larger parties) so don’t publicise
  • Turnout of 41% = 67.9% Against - 32.1% For
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6
Q

Can the PM put policies into Action

Response to Emergencies:

A

Coronovirus means Govt had to act clearly and swiftly

  • Temp set up of field hospitals ‘Nightingale Hospital’
  • Coronovirus Act (2020) passed issuing penalties to those who broke restricitons
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7
Q

Can the PM put policies into Action?

Mounting Pressure from public/Media

A

Campaign for Climate Change

  • Extinction Rebellion use Direct Action
  • Greta calls on climate strikes

Effect on Govt - 2019 pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050

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8
Q

Can the PM put policies into action?

Changing Social/Cultural Attitudes

A

Change policies to seem more ‘in touch’

  • ‘Swinging Sixties’ perfect example of rapid social change
  • Harold Wilson’s Labour Govt made laws reflecting this
  • ‘Divorce Reform Act’ (1969)
  • Decriminalises Male Homsexuality
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9
Q

Give four uses of the Executive Branch of Government

A

1) To Make Policy Decisions
2) To Pass Legislation
3) To Control the Countries’ Financing
4) To be the First Responder in a crisis

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10
Q

Factors that Increase the PM’s Power

A
  • Developed Stronger International Role - PM now represents Britian at G7 and EU meetings
  • Increase in Spads loyal to PM who exert authortiy over departments
  • PMs from Wilson Onward have gradually increased role of PM’s office and by 2000, staff exceeded 200
  • Prerogative Power to Dismiss and Move ministers (Cabinet Reshuffles
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11
Q

Factors that decrease the PM’s Power

A
  • vote of no confidence
  • Devolution -Key areas of policy such as health and education are now devolved to the Scottish and Welsh parliaments - UK prime minister has no power to intervene in these areas
  • No Majoirty/ Coaliton - May loses seats after snap election
  • Ministers resigning
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12
Q

Poll Tax 1990

  • What Happened?
  • Role of PM
  • Consequences
A

-Very Unpopular - Riots led to 100 injuries + 400 arrests

  • “Thatcher’s biggest political misjudgement”
  • Hard to collect as people could eaily move and costed a lot to administed
  • Economy was weakining under Poll Tax
  • Sparked a leadership challenge against her by former cabinet minister Michael Heseltine
  • Persuaded to step down instead of losing again in second Ballot
  • John Major replaced it with Council Tax
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13
Q

The Decision to Invade Iraq (2003) - 9/11 context

  • What Happened
  • Role of PM
  • Consequences
A
  • Blair said they had to removed WMDs in Iraq
  • Military victory was striaghtforward but no creation of stable state - Bloody civil war and future IS.
  • Blair wanted to strengthen rleaitonship with Bush
  • No pressure in Cabinet - very solo decision
  • Blair was left without much, or any, political or diplomatic cover, especially when the non-existence of WMDs emerged
  • Highly Critical of ‘Sofa Govt’
  • Influential for resignaiton in 2007
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14
Q

Decision to Call an Early Election (2017)

  • What Happened
  • Role of PM
  • Consequences
A
  • May calls for Snap Election
  • The motives behind this are best understood as a mixture of capitalising on perceived political advantage and enabling her Brexit strategy to be successfully implemented.
  • May wanted her own mandate to get Britain out of the EU
  • The conservatives lost seats rather than gaining them, forfeiting their overall majority in parliament.
  • Creating a very weak government
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15
Q

What must you be to become a Cabinet Minister

A

A Member of Parliament

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16
Q

How Many extra Cabinet Ministers did David Cameron Have?

A

10 in 2012

-May had 5 extra in 2017

17
Q

How Many Women Cabinet Ministers did Theresa May have?

A

8 - equalling the record set by Tony Blain in 2006

18
Q

What was very important in the Con-Lib coalition and why?

A

Cabinet Committees as they helped to present an united front

19
Q

Give 3 Informal Powers of the Prime Minister

A

Personal and Political Power:

  • Momentumn that comes from leading their party to power in an election
  • Effective mangement of ministers and backbenchers
  • Personal qualities like charm and charisma
20
Q

Give 3 formal powers of the Prime Minister

A
  • Appointing and dismmissing ministers (cabinet reshuffles) -Johnson in 2019 removes 11 ministers and a further 6 refuse to serve
  • Changing weekly meetings of the Cabinet and setting the agenda
  • Issuing honours such as life peerages
21
Q

Give 3 Cabinet Committees

A
  • National Space Council
  • Covid-19 Strategy
  • EU Exit Strategy
22
Q

Give 3 ways in Which Cabinet Ministers an be seen to have more power than the PM

A
  • They have large degree of control over their own departments - Pretti Patel overseeing immigration policy
  • They have their own links to press and can ‘leak’ info - Gavin Williamson sacked for leaking information from a National Security meeting
  • If they are powerful enough, they can refuse to move positions in a Cabinet Reshuffle
23
Q

Give three conventions of Collective Ministerial Responsibility

A

Discussions in government should be kept secret
Decisions made in government are binding on all ministers
PM Authority - Blair selecting 8 women on cab

24
Q

Give three strains on Collective Ministerial Responsibility

A

Leaks - unhappy ministers sometimes leak information or write about them in their memoirs - Gav Williamson leaking and getting fired

Dissent - Some ministers have openly opposed government policy and survived without resigning/being dismissed

PM Dominance - Cabinet ministers under Thatcher and Blair complained that CMR was undermined due to them ignoring the Cabinet.

25
Q

Give one example of why a Minister resigned

A

Priti Patel (when Int. Development Secretary):

Theresa May forces Priti patel to resign after ‘unauthorised meetings” with Israelis including PM Netanyahu
She was accused of breaching ministerial code
In her resignation letter she says her actions “fell below the standards of transparency and openness that I have promoted and advocated”.

26
Q

Explain and Analyse three features of cabinet government - Cabinet Committees

A

1) Most decisions are made within Cabinet Committees
2) They were given great priority by Blair following his criticism of informal meetings
3) They were revived under the coaltion - May makes these simplier - 5 committees and 10 sub-committees

27
Q

Explain and analyse three arguments in support of the view that the cabinet remains an effective decision making body

A

1) Engage collecitve responsibility of Govt because they rasie Major policy decisions - Gav Williamson sacked for leaking social security secrets to press
2) Little intervention - If PM and Minister are in agreement, noone else can interfere and case unlikley to be re-opened. - sofa govt - ‘Quad’ - DC, NC
3) When Major issues require rapid decision making - ‘Covid-19 Act 2020’
4) Can often work interdepartmentaly to get best results

28
Q

What are Prerogative Powers?

A

Prerogative Powers are powers once held by the monarch but are now in the hards of th Government

29
Q

Explain and Analyse 3 prerogative powers that the PM has.

A

1) The deployment of UK armed forces overseas - E.g. Blair deployment in Iraq - Negative
Thatcher deployment in Falklands - Positive

2) The appointment and dismissal of ministers by the PM - E.g. PMs enoy unlimited choice over who joins and leaves - May had to balance between Remainers and Brexiteers
3) Issuing statements during national crisis and emergencies - 27m watched BJ’s Covid - 19 breif

30
Q

Where are PMs permitted to chose ministers from?

A

From the House of Commons or Lords - Unlike in the US where the President can choose anyone

31
Q

Explain 3 reasons that explain how Prime Ministers select their cabinets

A

1) There must be a balance of ideas, so as to not alienate sections of the party
2) Particular gorups must be represented like females
3) It may be better to have opponents in the Cabinet, so they are bound by collective ministerial responsibility
4) PMs can only pick from the HOL or the HOC so options are limited

English Politics A-Level AQA (10 decks)

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