Prime Minister and Cabinet

Question 1

Features of Cabinet…(5)

Answer 1

1) All members of the govt. must sit in Parliament as well as being minsters
2) MPs from the party that is in government are not members of govt.
3) All members of govt. appointed by PM
4) All members of govt. bound by collective responsibility
5) The full government would never meet together

Question 2

Functions of Cabinet…(6)

Answer 2

1) Cabinet is key formal decision-making body of executive
2) Crisis management
3) Symbolic of Collective responsibility
4) Settles ministerial disputes
5) Debating forum
6) Formal policy approval and co ordination

Question 3

Collective responsibility…

Answer 3

All cabinet decisions must be collectively supported by all members of government, atleast in public. It also implies that the whole government stands or falls, as one, on the decisions made by cabinet.

Question 4

Examples of collective responsibility…(3)

Answer 4

1) Theresa May and Ken Clarke made contradictory statements about what the UK should do about HR Act in 2010/2011 - CR breached
2) Two Lib Dem junior ministers resigned in the face of rising tuition fees
3) David Cameron suspended CR for EU referendum

Question 5

Factors PM considers when forming cabinet…(4)

Answer 5

1) Political Reliability
2) Junior ministerial ‘potential’
3) Alignment of political philosophy
4) Ministers with managerial skills

Question 6

Factors PM considers when forming cabinet under coalition…(2)

Answer 6

1) Ministerial posts must be shared

2) Agreement on what policies should be accepted

Question 7

Sources of govt. power…(4)

Answer 7

1) Ruling party
2) Royal Prerogative
3) Parliament
4) Personality

Question 8

PM formal powers…?

Answer 8

Powers enjoyed by all PM(s)

Question 9

PM formal powers…(5)

Answer 9

1) Appointment and dismissal of ministers
2) Commanding the armed forces
3) Conducting foreign relations
4) Maintaining national security
5) Chairing cabinet meetings

Question 10

PM informal powers…?

Answer 10

Powers that vary according to circumstance

Question 11

PM informal powers…(4)

Answer 11

1) Making govt. policy
2) Parliamentary leadership
3) Controlling cabinet
4) National Leadership

Question 12

Presidentialism…?

Answer 12

Presented by Michael Foley, the power and status of the PM has grown so much that he or she is effectively a president or head of state.

Question 13

Prime Ministerial government…?

Answer 13

Proposed by Richard Heffernan, the PM dominates the political system, therefore other branches are subordinate.

Question 14

Cabinet government…?

Answer 14

Executive power vested in cabinet who exercise collective responsibility. Cabinet is centre of policy making and is the decision making institution.

Question 15

Core executive…?

Answer 15

Comprises of the PM, cabinet, committees, govt. departments, senior civil service and political advisors and policy committee, it refers to the place where policy is implemented and its presentation is determined. (Martin Smith)

Question 16

Individual responsibility…?

Answer 16

The convention that the minister should resign if their department makes a serious political or personal error.

Question 17

Examples of individual responsibility…(3)

Answer 17

1) Sir Michael Fallon
2) Amber Rudd
3) Robin Cook

Question 18

Factors that limit PM power…(5)

Answer 18

1) Size of majority
2) Unity of ruling party
3) Public and media profile of the PM
4) Confidence of the cabinet
5) PM’s party