PM and Executive

Question 1

Who are the executive?

Answer 1

The executive (known as the government) consists of approximately 100 ministers (who must be MPs or Lords), as well as the civil servants who support them.

Question 2

What does the PM do in the executive?

Answer 2

Appoints all ministers, chairs the Cabinet, organises the structure of government departments.

Question 3

What do Cabinet ministers do in the executive?

Answer 3

Approximately 25 ministers - each heads a government department.

Question 4

What do Junior ministers do in the executive?

Answer 4

Approximately 75-100 ministers who work under Cabinet ministers in specific government departments. Each department is responsible for an area of policy.

Question 5

What is the role of the executive as a whole?

Answer 5

Proposing legislation
Proposing a budget
Running the country

Question 6

What is the role of the Cabinet?

Answer 6

Making formal decisions
Coordinating government policy
Providing a forum
Managing parliamentary business
Managing emergencies

Question 7

Importance of the Cabinet

Answer 7

• Discusses the governments general strategy and goals.
  -It is the Cabinet which deals with emergencies or crises, not the PM alone
• Cabinet is much more significant under a coalition
• The Cabinet can overrule the PM or even remove them
• No PM can survive without Cabinet support

Question 8

Unimportance of the Cabinet

Answer 8

• PMs rely less on their Cabinet for policy advice, preferring to use special advisers
• PMs decide the number and nature of Cabinet committees
• A Cabinet united behind its PM gives a PM enormous power

Question 9

What is a Cabinet Committee?

Answer 9

Groups of Cabinet ministers designed to allow discussions and decisions to take place with fewer ministers than in the full Cabinet - the PM has the power to set up Cabinet committees and is responsible for appointments

Question 10

Since the 1950s, the number and duration of cabinet meetings has steadily declined…

Answer 10

…from about 100 a year to 40 a year (rarely lasted over an hour)

Question 11

Senior civil servants and special advisers, based at 10 Downing Street, who give policy advice and support with communications is the…

Answer 11

Prime Minister’s Office

Question 12

Government department, with over 2,000 civil servants, responsible for supporting the Prime Minister, Deputy PM, Cabinet and Cabinet Committees is the…

Answer 12

Cabinet Office

Question 13

What is Collective Ministerial Responsibility (CMR)?

Answer 13

Extends to all members of the government.
The convention requires that they all STICK TO AN AGREED POLICY and do not question it in public

Question 14

Why is CMR necessary?

Answer 14

• Ensures ministers present a united front against opposition
• Binds the government together as ministers collective shoulder responsibility for their actions and policies
• Can enhance prime ministerial power by silencing critics within the government
  Any member of the Cabinet who won’t accept these restraints is expected to resign

Question 15

What is Individual Ministerial Responsibility (IMR)?

Answer 15

Ministers have a responsibility for their own conduct in office as well as to Parliament, comes in two strands - legal and political

Question 16

What is legal responsibility?

Answer 16

MINISTERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR all that goes on within their OWN DEPARTMENT, whether or not they are directly concerned
MUST GIVE ACCURATE INFORMATION to Parliament, if they knowingly mislead Parliament, they are expected to resign
Ultimately, the PM decides how long a minister remains in office

Question 17

What is political responsibility?

Answer 17

MINISTERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL CONDUCT. In this situation, ministers may be forced to resign because of a PERSONAL FAILING, not necessarily related to their performance as a minister

Question 18

What is the role of the PM?

Answer 18

Head of government and main figure:
- appoint all ministers and are responsible for promotions, demotions and sackings
- direct government policy and provide national leadership, particularly in times of crisis
- responsible for setting up, reorganising and abolishing government departments
-they exercise royal prerogative powers

Question 19

What are royal prerogative powers?

Answer 19

Exercised on behalf of the monarch and the executive:
- don’t require Parliament’s permission
- have existed over a long period of time (therefore traditional in nature)
- Powers are now exercised by the PM

Question 20

Selecting ministers…

Answer 20

• May be close allies of the PM
• Their ability
• Socially balanced Cabinet

Question 21

Factors affecting the PM’s power:

Answer 21

• Personality
• Events
• Media
• Cabinet and Party
• Majority
• Opposition
• Popularity

Question 22

1997 General Election

Answer 22

Ethnicity:
70% of all non-white voters voted Labour - 18% for Conservatives.
Class:
Labour’s win in 1997 election came from Blair’s ability to appeal to middle-class voters as well as to the working class.
Media:
The press largely turned against the Conservative party, most media backed Blair.
The Conservatives also faced financial and sexual scandals, whilst the Labour’s polished campaign focused on Blair.

Question 23

2017 General Election

Answer 23

Class:
Class is no longer a good indicator of voting intention.
-Labour did best among semi and unskilled manual workers, unemployed and those DE in society.
Age:
Younger voters were less likely to vote- turnout was 57% for 18-19 year olds, BUT 84% for 70+

Question 24

Backbenchers (how their role is significant in Parliament)

Answer 24

• Can introduce the Private Members’ Bill (may become law)
• ‘Ten Minute Rule Bills’ (backbenchers are able to voice their opinion on a subject or existing legislation)
• carry out detailed scrutiny of government bills and policy (through PBC and SC)
• raise concerns of their constituents and bring them to the government’s attention

Question 25

Backbenchers (how their role isn’t significant in Parliament)

Answer 25

• Private Members’ Bill rarely becomes law (so their time is spent considering gov bill)
• Government whips limits backbenchers roles (limiting their independence and significance)
• Proportionality of representation (minorities and women under represented, MPs usually elected on less than 50%)
• Question Time is often weak and ineffective

Question 26

What is patronage?

Answer 26

The ability to hire and fire/make appointments

Question 27

What is a strength of patronage?

Answer 27

The PM in effect controls the careers of ministers, which should ensure their loyalty

Question 28

What is a weakness of patronage?

Answer 28

Ministers must come from the Commons or Lords, so there is a limited number of people to choose from/ Similarly, ministers will come from the majority party

Question 29

The use of special advisers has grown in recent years…

Answer 29

… (John Major had 8, Tony Blair 50)- these advisers are personally loyal to the PM, rather than the government or cabinet

Question 30

What is a good example for how Prime Ministers are seeing an increase in their power?

Answer 30

An increase in the number of special advisers in Downing Street

Question 31

What is a spin doctor?

Answer 31

A special adviser employed to give positive interpretations of events to the media, and promote a positive party image

Question 32

What is prime-ministerial government?

Answer 32

Recognises the growing power of the PM

Question 33

What is core-executive model?

Answer 33

Both the PM and cabinet exercise influence on policy, but also use their contacts to exert influence

Question 34

What is Presidentialism?

Answer 34

UK PMs have, in effect, become presidents who act like (and have the same influence as) a head of state as well as a head of government

Question 35

Initiation of legislation. The executive…

Answer 35

controls most of the parliamentary time available for legislation

Question 36

What is secondary legislation?

Answer 36

law made without passing a new act of Parliament - uses powers created by an earlier act