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Politics > PM/President > Flashcards

PM/President Flashcards

1
Q

who is currently the PM?

A

Rishi Sunak 2022

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2
Q

what powers does the PM have?

A

power of patronage/ hire/fire
decide cabinet’s agenda
chairs meetings - when and how long meetings are
personality
national crises - COVID19
media
resources
represents at national conferences
commands military
party leader
issuing life peerages
handling the economy and unexpected challenges
opinion poll ratings
personalities in their cabinet
potential leadership challenges
strength and threat from the opposition party

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3
Q

what is a sofa government?

A

where PM uses a small circle of advisors instead of using their cabinet, weakens the power of the cabinet as they will have less influence over PM decisions
Tony Blair - sofa
Gordon Brown - kitchen

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4
Q

how can the cabinet weaken the power of the PM?

A

resign - May saw many of her cabinet advisors resign, making her party lose confidence in her
more popular people - under Tony Blair, Gordon Brown was in the cabinet and very popular and Blair couldn’t ignore
a range of people in the cabinet to make party happy - people from radical side of the conservatives to the moderate conservatives

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5
Q

how does the media help/or not the PM?

A

media can help to portray the PM as the centre of the party - more presidential like
helps to show their personality, strength
more focus on the PM than the cabinet to allow for the PM to have more authority
however, the media can weaken the PM by focusing on the cabinet instead or highlighting the inefficiencies of the PM

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6
Q

how does the PMs popularity affect them?

A

can cause more media attention - further interest in the party, more voters to vote
successful PM with voters and cabinet ministers is likely to have greater control over their cabinet
less popular - less support from cabinet ministers, leading to resignations
damaging their public impressions - May

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7
Q

how is the PM becoming more presidential like?

A

use of special advisers rather than their cabinet
personal leadership, greater focus on the PM
PMO - stronger, SPADs have more access to PM
communicator-in-chief - nation’s spokeperson
greater control over foreign policy

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8
Q

name constraints the PM has on their power

A

minority in parliament - 2017, May
backbench rebellions - Covid tier 2021, Online safety bill 2023
vote of no confidence - James Callaghan
ministerial resignations
popular people in the cabinet

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9
Q

what does primus inter pares mean?

A

first among equals
collegial government style

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10
Q

how is the PM not becoming presidential?

A

PM can be removed by party
vote of no confidence

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11
Q

what happened in 2010?

A

the conservatives did not have a majority and therefore had to form a coalition
conservative-lib dems coalition 2010-15

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12
Q

what is individual ministerial responsibility?

A

ministers who are head of government departments are responsible for their actions
must take responsibility for department lacking and personal actions

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13
Q

give an example of individual ministerial responsibility

A

Amber Rudd - resigned as home secretary in 2018 after misleading the Home Affairs Select committee over her department’s targets for deporting illegal immigrants
Liam Fox - resigned as defence secretary 2011, brought a close friend on a business trip despite having no role.

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14
Q

what are the advantages of individual responsibility?

A

a strong standard of behaviour maintained
holds the government to account
ministers will resign

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15
Q

what are the disadvantages of individual responsibility?

A

when ministers choose not to resign and blame others
Theresa May - didn’t resign over weakened border checks which allowed criminals and terrorist suspects into the UK, blamed the head of UK border Force

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16
Q

what is collective responsibility?

A

it is a convention that cabinet members must agree collectively, publicly supporting decisions made by the cabinet

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17
Q

name examples of collective responsibility

A

Boris Johnson, Foreign secretary resigned as he didn’t agree with the government’s ‘Chequers deal’
Robin Cook 2003 resigned over Blair’s decision to help the US, as Iraq supposedly had WMD
as well as Clare Short followed

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18
Q

what are the advantages of collective responsibiltiy?

A

government is seemed to be united
ensures strong government, leads to clear official position on policies

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19
Q

what are the disadvantages of collective responsibility?

A

even though they publicly support and defend policies, they don’t have to agree with them.
these policies can be forced upon them by the PM
Blair’s cabinet was not asked for their approval on invading Iraq until 3 days before the invasion

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20
Q

which PM relaxed collective responsibility?

A

David Cameron, during the EU referendum, allowed minister the choice to campaign to stay or leave
allowed for politicians to keep their position

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21
Q

what are the advantages of their being select committees?

A

closely scrutinise individual government departments. publish reports on issues that the government must respond to within 60 days

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22
Q

what are the criticisms of select committees?

A

can be ineffective at holding the government to account when ministers are unhelpful in providing evidence when questioned
Boris Johnson - foreign secretary 2016

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23
Q

what ways can parliament hold the government accountable?

A

backbench rebellions
HoC has blocked government legislation through successful backbench rebellions 12 conservatives voted against its party’s governments in favour of giving parliament the final voter over Brexit deal.
but it is difficult because of three-line whips
vote of no confidence

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24
Q

how is the executive dominant over parliament?

A

elective dictatorship - having a majority in parliament
control legislation - party whips to pass bills
parliamentary sovereignty - ultimate/absolute power to pass bills
majority in parliament

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25
Q

what reform gave select committees more power in 2009?

A

Wright Committee

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26
Q

what did the Wright Committee reform enticise?

A

included reducing the number of committees and giving MPs voting power to choose select committee chairs
Backbench Business committee - schedules debates in the HoC on topics suggested by MPs rather than government

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27
Q

how has sovereignty changed in the UK?

A

shifted from parliament to the executive, PM using prerogative powers to deploy the army without consent from parliament
2018 - May sent jets to carry out airstrike on Syria
However, 2013 Parliament blocked when Cameron was going to sent troops to Syria
UK’s membership to EU - moved sovereignty to the EU
constitutional reform - devolution, CRA 2005
legal sovereignty - article 50

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28
Q

what are the limits to political sovereignty in the UK?

A

referendums has placed sovereignty in the hands of the people
EU can overrule parliamentary law and undermine UK parliamentary sovereignty

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29
Q

what are the formal sources of power the president has?

A

chief executive - power to run the government’s executive branch (sole executive authority)
legislation - propose legislation Union Address
presidential action - sign, veto, pocket it, leave it for the decision of legislation
commander-in-chief - lead armed forces in to foreign military action, nuclear codes for an attack
head of state - figurehead of the US, leads national during time of crisis, 9/11 attacks
nominations officials to executive branch
power of pardon

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30
Q

what are the informal sources of power the president has?

A

electoral mandate - elected with a majority
executive orders - documents which have the effect of law, Trump banned muslim majority countries
cabinet made up of 15 executive departments, president chooses cabinet members mainly from congress
cabinet members cannot be members of the legislature and the executive
de facto leader

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31
Q

what power does the cabinet have for the president?

A

cabinet gives the president power which affect major legislation, budget and elections
presidents try to unite their cabinet at the start of their administration move towards the president’s agenda
presidents use their cabinet to look collegial and open to consulting policies and issues
Obama invited small businesses in his cabinet to look more representative

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32
Q

what are enumerated powers?

A

explicitly granted to the president in the constitution, or delegated to the president by congress

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33
Q

what are implied powers?

A

implied by the text of the constitution

34
Q

what are inherent powers?

A

not set out in the constitution, but are needed by the president to carry out the constitutional role as head of the executive

35
Q

what checks has the judiciary made on the executive?

A

SC can declare actions as unconstitutional, federal courts halted Trump’s ban on travellers from majority-Muslim countries. Forced to amend his original executive order to include North Kore, Venezuela and Chad. SC then ruled it as not a Muslim ban and no longer unconstitutional

36
Q

what further constraints are there on the president?

A

party support in congress, lack of political support at federal or state level. president then make it harder to pass legislation or get nominees confirmed
if president’s party is not united or supportive will also be difficult to pass legislation
NRA successfully convinced members of congress to block Obama’s gun control reforms in 2013
the balance of the SC of ideologies, president who share same ideology are more likely to receive favourable rulings

37
Q

how does the media constrain the president?

A

media can constrain the president’s action by informing public opinion. Give the unfavourable coverage. Obama felt that his administration was unfairly attacked by the Fox News.
Trump took a different approach, claiming his agenda was being undermined by ‘fake news’ and adopting an aggressive approach to liberal-leaning media.

38
Q

how do approval ratings affect the president?

A

presidents was high approval ratings are more likely to be re-elected and easier to influence congress.
Bush reached 90% after 9/11 attacks
Trump had 40%2018

39
Q

what is the significance of the cabinet, US?

A

cabinet fulfills key functions: resolving disputes between gov’t departments, chance for interaction with president

40
Q

what is the insignificance of the cabinet, US?

A

EXOP has grown in importance, those have more access to the president, main advice source
constitution gives all executive power to the president rather than the cabinet
cabinet members not equal to the president
cabinet members have divided loyalties between their own department and the president

41
Q

what is EXOP?

A

Executive Office of the President - formed following the Brownlow committee which found the president needed more help
consists of WHO, OMB and NSC

42
Q

what is the NSC, what does it do?

A

National Security Council support the president in coordinating foreign policy and national security

43
Q

what is the significance of the NSC?

A

it depends upon the president and how they choose to seek its advice on key matters,

44
Q

what is the OMB and what does it do?

A

Office of Management and Budget
oversees all federal department and agency spending
offers president advice on how to allocate funding in the budget
analyses legislation and regulation proposed by executive for its financial implications to the budget.

45
Q

what is the WHO and what does it do?

A

white house office
made up of the president’s closest advisers
acting as a communicator between the president and congress
management of president’s daily schedule and running of the white house
any crises - solution and decisions are made in an orderly way
members are meant to be anonymous and act impartial

46
Q

what is power of persuasion?

A

informal power where the president uses bargaining methods and their job prestige to get people to act in a way that they wish

47
Q

who can the president persuade?

A

party leaders in the house and the senate
the office of legislative affairs works to lobby congress for the president on issues and legislation of importance
the vice president can be used to persuade congress as they have an office in congress

48
Q

what is the significance of persuasion?

A

most of the presidents powers are checked by congress and require congress to agree, so if there is a divided congress persuasion is important as the president often needs to persuade congress to pass their legislation

49
Q

what factors affect persuasion?

A

president’s personality - build strong relations within congress
of congress and the president are from the same party - more successful

50
Q

what constraints are on the president’s power?

A

constitution - checks and balances
congress - amend budget, reject bills, power of the purse, power to declare war, engage in foreign policy, override president’s veto, impeach president, senate reject nominations, ratify treaties
sc - amend constitution, declare laws unconstitutional

51
Q

how can the election cycle affect the president’s power?

A

a small mandate from the previous election can weaken the president’s position and their ability to carry out their legislation and policies
only 2 terms - restricted by the 22nd amendment (lameduck)

52
Q

what was Clinton’s and Trump’s public approval ratings?

A

1999 - 73% for Clinton
2018 - 36% for Trump

53
Q

how does the media affect the president’s influence and constrain their power?

A

media scruntinises the president’s actions 24/7
such as a campaign for the removal of US troops from Afghanistan, pressure was put on Obama to withdraw troops by the end of 2016

54
Q

what can affect the relationship between the president and congress?

A

a divided or unified government
president can bypass congress using executive orders/agreements
national events - congress gives the president more power to act in times of emergency
as well as approval ratings - low ratings will be more challenging for the president and the powers they have been granted

55
Q

how is the relationship between the president and sc affected?

A

president can nominate its judges when a seat is available, able to change the ideological balance of the sc
the sc can rule an action unconstitutional - 2004 Bush, Guantanamo Bay prisoners access to the courts to challenge their imprisonment

56
Q

what is the presidents relationship with EXOP?

A

created by Brownlow committee in 1939, as president needed more help than what was already given
with the NSC, WHO and OMB

57
Q

what is waxing and waning of presidential power ?

A

waxing, presidents are the most powerful they could become in the term
waning, less popular and less power, more constrained on what they can do

58
Q

what are the actions of an imperial president, Nixon?

A

authorised military intervention in Vietnam without telling congress
Watergate Scandal showed his use of corrupt and illegal methods to advance his own interests
continued the war in Vietnam without congressional approval, even after 1971

59
Q

what makes a president seem imperial?

A

military action - Vietnam, Obama’s military intervention in Libya
emergency powers - 9/11
rise of direct authority - executive orders and agreements
opposition from congress - frequent gridlock, divided gov’t, budgetary compromises (imperilled)
presidential style - foreign policy
expansion of federal gov’t -increased the size of the federal bureaucracy, increasing power of the president

60
Q

name some acts of congress that affect the waxing and waning of president’s power?

A

war powers act 1973 - restricted the deployment of armed forces abroad by the president
case act - required the president to make public all executive agreements
Budget Impoundment act - gave congress greater control over spending by the president

61
Q

what makes up the core executive in the UK?

A

PM, cabinet, senior civil servants, cabinet committees, Cabinet Office

62
Q

what are the key roles of the core executive in the UK?

A

policy-making - set political priorities, decide policy at cabinet meetings, civil service implements these policies
passing legislation - acts approved by cabinet
financing - decisions on taxation, government spending, announced in the annual budget.
national first responder - times of national emergency 9/11, COVID-19, executive act quickly and efficiently.

63
Q

what are the main powers of the executive?

A

fire/hire ministers - power of patronage
deploy armed forces
relations with international powers and international diplomacy
making and ratifying treaties
organisations and structure of the civil service
issuing directives and statements during national crises and emergencies.

64
Q

accusations for presidentialism in the UK?

A

Blair - sofa government, informal chats with ministers rather than cabinet meetings
Thatcher - cabinet ‘wets’ dissenters and ‘dries’ supporters
the Quad - 2010-15 coalition - power concentrated in the four leading figures ‘spatial leadership’ - sense of distance created between PM and the rest of the cabinet
inner/kitchen cabinet - Brown
SpAds - first appointed by Harold Wilson, increase use of them rather than the cabinet

65
Q

against the accusation of presidentialism in the UK?

A

PM in a weak or non-existent parliamentary majorities - May suffered 2 defeats in 2019 over her Brexit deal.
Chequer’s deal 2019 - 2 cabinet ministers reluctantly agreed to resignation, David Davis and Boris Johnson
Thatcher and Blair were forced out of office due to criticisms and divides within their own party

66
Q

why was Thatcher forced out in 1990?

A

she introduced poll tax in Scotland, then in England and many protested against it.
former defence secretary was fired, but Michael Heseltine challenged Thatcher and she resigned

67
Q

has the role of the PM really changed recently?

A

formal institution powers of the PM have changed very little, their prerogative powers and those derived from being leader in parliament have remained consent. what has changed is the context and particular situations in their premiership

68
Q

what factors affect how policy is made in the UK?

A

manifesto pledges and promises
personal convictions
outcome of referendums
results of deals with minority
responses to national crises
pressure from public and media
changing social and cultural attitudes

69
Q

what case study is used to show fulfilling a manifesto, UK?

A

extending free childcare
2017 conservatives promised to offer working parents 30 hours of free childcare a week instead of 15
it was to increase the number of parents in work, more people paying taxes

70
Q

what case study is used to show personal convictions of the PM, UK?

A

privatisation and sale of council houses
Thatcher
privatised Telecom, gas and electricity
council tenants were given the Right to Buy, so they could buy their homes at a reduced price

71
Q

what case study is used to show the outcome of a referendum, UK?

A

Brexit, David Cameron promised a referendum in 2015 if he was re-elected in 2016.
resulting in victory 52%-48%
Cameron resigned and May took the role
May didn’t want it but she upheld the result of the referendum
2017 - DUP confidence and supply agreement
she resigned in 2019 when she failed
Johnson then became PM

72
Q

what case study is used to show results of deals with minority/coalition, UK?

A

2010 hung parliament
coalition agreement between conservatives and liberal democrats
AV 2011 referendum - terms of the agreement

73
Q

what case study is used to show response to national crises, UK?

A

COVID-19, world was facing a pandemic
governments were facing unexpected issues requiring swift responses
2008-09 financial repression
7/7 bombings 2005
2017 Manchester bombing attack

74
Q

what case study is used to show pressure from the public and media, UK?

A

climate change and carbon emissions
PGs such as extinction rebellion uses direct action to draw attention to the issue.
Greta Thunberg, global climate strikes by school students embraced by many students in the UK.

75
Q

what case study is used to show changing social and cultural attitudes, UK?

A

1960s liberalisation of attitudes towards sex, marriage and women’s rights
Harold Wilson legalised abortion upto 24 weeks, ending death penalty, decriminalising homosexuality, divorce easier

76
Q

What was the Poll Tax 1990?

A

regarded as Thatcher’s biggest political misjudgement
it was a tax on property, did not reflect income
the proposal was to replace the domestic rates with a flat-rate tax payable by nearly all adults

77
Q

what did Poll tax show for Thatcher’s government?

A

highlighted growing concerns within her own party of her inability and unwillingness to listen to others.
poll tax also shows that powerful PM ‘iron lady’ have the power to push through policy, also the real dangers that can ensue from rejecting the advice of political allies and natural supporters.

78
Q

what was the invasion of Iraq 2003, UK?

A

Blair was approached by Bush to commit troops to a US invasion of Iraq as they believed that there were WMDs in the country. - justified by potential WMD. however, there were no WMD found. allegations of human right abuses
Blair agreed to help Bush, while letting his cabinet know 2-3 days before the invasion.
this led to the resignation of Robin Cook and Clare Short.

79
Q

why was there a decision to call and early election in 2017, UK?

A

May called a snap election, challenging Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn
motive behind was mixture of capitalising on perceived political advantage and enabling her Brexit strategy to be successful
conservatives lost seats to Labour
campaign revealed May to be something of a weak public campaign, being over-confident and not defensive enough

80
Q

what resources and powers does the cabinet have, UK?

A

ministers run their own departments, fair degree of autonomy
have their own links to the media, through departments to PGs, can leak information
powerful ministers can refuse to be reshuffled, Jeremy Hunt 2018, health secretary
cabinet meetings - real debate and discussion
cabinet minister resignation

81
Q

given an example where cabinet ministers have leaked information, UK.

A

2019 defence secretary, Gavin Williamson was sacked for allegedly leaking to the press details from a National Security Council meeting over Huawei

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