PM and Executive- Role of the PM

Question 1

What are the 4 features of a pre-eminent PM?

Answer 1

• Legal head of government (have the power of patronage and must have a majority to pass legislation)
• Leadership of government (pass legislation through the house, chair cabinet committees etc)
• PM’s office (resources which help the PM pursue their agenda)
• Sets political agenda (as head of the party and dominant media presence they set what the key issues are)

Question 2

What are the 4 features of a pre-dominant PM?

Answer 2

• Leadership ability and reputation (good communication, have vision and political will etc)
• Association with political success (any achievements will be attributed to the PM rather than the government as a collective)
• Electoral popularity (have a sizeable majority and ability to be successful in the next election as well)
• High standing within the party (considered a good PM amongst the party)

Question 3

What are the three features of ‘presidential leadership’?

Answer 3

• Personalised leadership (PM imposes their own personal vision on government and personally associated with major policy decisions)
• Public outreach (media spotlight is on the PM more than any other minister, they claim to represent the public interest)
• Spatial leadership (distance created between the PM and the rest of the government/ party, the PM relies on a narrow group of advisors)

Question 4

Give 3 examples of presidential leadership

Answer 4

• Tony Blair’s style of government was described as ‘sofa government’ as he made key decisions in bilateral meetings with senior ministers (spatial leadership)
• Boris Johnson became the face of the Brexit campaign, firmly aligning himself with the policy (personalised leadership)
• Blair justified the Iraq invasion to the public through TV discussions and debates (public outreach)

Question 5

Give 3 examples of non-presidential leadership

Answer 5

• John Major’s cabinet met during the Black Wednesday economic crisis in 1992 (not spatial leadership)
• Theresa May’s failure to get Brexit done, Brexit ‘Chequers Deal’, lead to her stepping down as party leader (not personalised leadership)
• Gordon Brown’s attempts to speak directly to the nation were ridiculed and parodied by comedian Rory Bremner (not public outreach)