PM & The Executive (P2)

Question 1

What is the executive?

Answer 1

One of three branches of government, they propose and execute laws, propose budgets and create policies

Question 2

What are the roles of the PM? (6)

Answer 2

-Power of patronage (appoint/dismiss ministers,reshuffle cabinet)
-Directing policy
-Managing cabinet
-Organising gov
-Controlling Parliament
-Leadership

Question 3

What is the civil service?

Answer 3

not supposed to serve a political purpose, support the ministers not the party, not an ideological institution

Question 4

What is a spAd?

Answer 4

Special advisors - employed as civil servants but give political advice to ministers
e.g Dominic Cummings led 2019 election campaign as chief of staff to Johnson

Question 5

What is IMR?

Answer 5

Ministers being responsible for their conduct and departments, accountable to Parliament, measured by ministerial code of conduct

Question 6

What is CMR?

Answer 6

all ministers are responsible for all executive policies and decisions, and will defend them in public despite of personal opinion - to dissent publicly they must resign

Question 7

Why is CMR important?

Answer 7

supports powers of PM and authority, provides a strong and united front in government

Question 8

What are the exceptions to CMR?

Answer 8

Coalition years 2010-2015
Free votes (EU referendum)
May minority gov 2017-2019

Question 9

Why is May’s minority government significant for CMR?

Answer 9

Principle of CMR may rely more on the power of the PM than having any significance on its own

Question 10

What are the examples that present IMR as weak?

Answer 10

Braverman reinstated as Home sec after email leak sacking, Priti Patel bullying allegations, Matt Hancock no call for resignation over covid affair, Johnsons partygate shifted blame, Williamson pressure from media

Question 11

What are the examples that present IMR as strong?

Answer 11

Matt Hancock did resign, Suella Braverman sacked over email leaks, Amber Rudd (homesec) resigned over windrush, williamson resigned over exams

Question 12

What are the examples that present CMR as weak?

Answer 12

2015 coalition years ignored (Vince Cable), Theresa May with Johnson as foreign sec 2016

Question 13

What are the examples that present CMR as strong?

Answer 13

Robin Cook resigned over Iraq war, Lord Frost resigned over Plan B covid restrictions

Question 14

What are the two types of relationship between PM and cabinet?

Answer 14

Presidential style - PM has the most power over cabinet (e.g Thatcher and Blair)
Sounding board - work collaboratively and listen to ministers feedback (e.g Cameron and May)

Question 15

What are the 6 factors that affect how a PM chooses Cabinet?

Answer 15

Allies - Brown and Blair, Truss appointing leadership campaign supporters
Big Beasts - appointed to avoid criticism or rebellion (May w/ Hammon and Johnson)
Ability/Expertise - Sunak as Chancellor during covid
Party Factions - Suella apart of ERG
Rivals - bound by CMR
Diversity - Trusses cabinet all 4 great offices

Question 16

How was the relationship between PM and Cabinet from 1960s-2010s

Answer 16

PM dominated - prime ministerial and Blair used sofa politics

Question 17

What are ‘sofa politics’?

Answer 17

Ministers and advisers meet privately and agree on policy, presented as a final decision to Cabinet to avoid scrutiny

Question 18

Why are PMs regarded as more powerful than their Cabinet?

Answer 18

Spatial leadership - ideological figureheads (Thatcherism, Blairism)
Election campaigns - New Labour with Blair, Johnson and Brexit deal
Personal mandate - attributed to PM (2019)
Increased use of SpAds - trusted over civil servants
Cabinet office - coordinate Whitehall on behalf of PM

Question 19

What was the relationship between PM and Cabinet from 2010-2017?

Answer 19

Coalition - Cabinet used by resolving disputes between both parties and presenting a unified policy
2017 - May attempted PM dominance but had weak leadership and small majority, then minority, relied heavily on cooperation of Cabinet for stability

Question 20

What arguments can be made to present cabinet as not important?

Answer 20

-Sofa politics
-Cabinet meeting dominated by PM
-CMR binding Cabinet
-PM has power of patronage

Question 21

What arguments can be made to present Cabinet as important?

Answer 21

-some ‘big beasts’ dictate policy agendas (e.g Sunak under Johnson)
-Cabinet dissent (e.g Truss 2022)
-COBRA can hold emergency sessions

Question 22

What is meant by a ‘power of patronage’?

Answer 22

Used by PM, ability to appoint/ dismiss ministers and reshuffle Cabinet at will

Question 23

What are four factors affecting PMs power?

Answer 23

-Power of patronage
-Ability to manage Cabinet
-Leadership of their party
-Institutional support

Question 24

How does the power of patronage increase PMs power? give examples

Answer 24

ensures appointment and promotion of loyal supporters
Thatcher 1983 - Cabinet of Thatcherites
May - filled postitions linked to Brexit with Brexiters
Truss - purged Sunak supporters

Question 25

How does the power of patronage decrease PMs power?

Answer 25

Major party factions must be included to appear unified, diversity needed, ‘big beasts’ bound by CMR although may not uphold convention

Question 26

How does the ability to manage the Cabinet increase PMs power?

Answer 26

PMs chair cabinet meetings and manage agenda, decide how often and how long - ability to appoint ministers

Question 27

How to the ability to manage the Cabinet decrease PMs power?

Answer 27

Cabinet only supports popular PMs and ability to resign to damage support

Question 28

How can leadership of the party increase the PMs power?

Answer 28

large majority can control Parliament by the role of the whips (e.g Blair backbench rebellion didnt lose a single vote), can recognise success of party is due to personal PM popularity

Question 29

How can leadership of the party decrease the PMs power?

Answer 29

PMs who are ‘electoral liabilities’ are more damaging - party loyalty will fade quickly, small majorities limited by backbench rebellions, coalitions difficult to retain unity

Question 30

How can institutional support increase PMs power?

Answer 30

PM can work independently of the cabinet, spAds control civil servants

Question 31

How can institutional support decrease PMs power?

Answer 31

Minor support in UK compared to other countries, SpAds can be costly to a PMs popularity and political credibility (e.g Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill)

Question 32

What are the two types of leadership?

Answer 32

Transactional - balance of party factions (Major, May) Transformational - driven by ideology (Thatcher, Blair)

Question 33

What are the 7 factors that affect a PMs power during their premiership?

Answer 33

-Leadership style -Cabinet -Party factions -Majority size -PM popularity -Media -Events

Question 34

How does leadership style affect PMs power during premiership?

Answer 34

Transformational are effective public speakers, therefore can yield more power - transactional are easier to scrutinise due to inability to deal with media (e.g Truss)

Question 35

How does the cabinet affect PMs power during their premiership? - mostly examples

Answer 35

Thatcher and ‘wets’ (ONCs) were divided and challenged her, May’s lack of control between leavers and remainers after 2017 snap election reduced power

Question 36

How do party factions affect PMs power during their premiership? - mostly examples

Answer 36

May tried to appeal to too many factions therefore largely unsuccessful, Sunak balancing ERG with agenda - facing several rebellions

Question 37

How does the size of the majority affect PMs power during premiership? - mostly examples

Answer 37

Thatcher and Blair significant majorities difficult to defeats (Blair didnt lose vote in Commons till 2005), May frequent defeats and hold records for worst in EU Withdrawal Agreement (432-202)

Question 38

How does the PMs popularity affect their power during premiership? - mostly examples

Answer 38

Johnsons popularity with working class voters afforded trust from his party until covid, Truss’s mini budget and inability to see negative impact made her problematic

Question 39

How does the media affect PMs power during premiership?

Answer 39

Focuses heavily on leaders as PMs manage appearances more to their advantage, Sunak received a fine after posting a video not wearing a seatbelt

Question 40

How do events affect PMs power during their premiership? - mostly examples

Answer 40

Johnson and partygate, Cameron holding EU referendum, Blair and Iraq war