The Executive

Question 1

What is the executive?

Answer 1

The executive is a branch of government that creates and puts a policy into effect. It is a set of institutions that control the state and exercise its authority, controls and administers public policy.

Question 2

What are the main institutions within the cabinet?

Answer 2

Prime Minister and Cabinet

Question 3

Who is the Prime Minister?

Answer 3

They are the head of government

Question 4

What is the Prime Minister’s job?

Answer 4

The Prime Minister provides political leadership within the cabinet, appoints ministers and is leader of the largest party of the house of commons (by convention).

Question 5

Residence of the Prime Minister?

Answer 5

10 Downing Street

Question 6

Requirements of being Prime Minister

Answer 6

1. Must be a member of the Westminister Parliament. It is convention that a PM should be an MP.
2. Must be a leader of a political party, must have support of their party.
3. Winning a general election and gaining the majority in the House of Commons.

Question 7

What is a Majority Government?

Answer 7

This is where one political party has an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons and forms a government.

Question 8

What is a Minority government?

Answer 8

No political party has an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons, normally leads to coalition. (The German government after WW1)

Question 9

What is a Coalition Government?

Answer 9

No Political Party has an absolute majority of seats in the House of Commons, two or more parties agree to form a government together.

Question 10

Political Executives and making policy

Answer 10

The executive is expected to develop social and economic programmes that meet the needs of their country and citizens.
Executives usually initiate legislative programmes and also exercise a range of law-making powers.

Question 11

Political Executives and Mobilising Support for Policies

Answer 11

The ability of the executive to mobilise support for policies ensures people respect and follow the laws that are enacted. Without the support from the public, or from key groups in society, policy implantation becomes difficult.

Question 12

Political Executives and Supervising the Implementation of Policy

Answer 12

Policies are supervised through departments and the coordination is usually accomplished through a cabinet system.

Question 13

Ceremonial Duties

Answer 13

In the UK the Queen is the Head of State and is the personal embodiment of the state and what it stands for: this is largely a ceremonial role.
However, ceremonial duties for political executives allow the top leaders to portray themselves as ‘national leaders’ and provides a building block for legitimacy and political loyalty.

Question 14

Crisis Leadership

Answer 14

A critical advantage that the political that the political executive has over the assembly it its ability to take swift and decisive action.
When a crisis breaks out political executives are expected to take the lead. In times of national emergencies political executives can impose direct executives control through ‘states of emergencies’.

Question 15

What is the Cabinet?

Answer 15

The Committee of senior ministers that is the main collective decision-making body of the government, important institution - head of the governmental system and consists of PM and ministers: holds supreme control over governance; it makes and executes government policy.

Question 16

What is the Bilateral?

Answer 16

A meeting between the Prime Minister and a departmental minister in which policy is agreed

Question 17

The Ruling Party

Answer 17

The Pm has the support of his party both in parliament and in the country in the form of ordinary members. As party has the right to govern, the PM carries his party’s elective authority.

Question 18

The Royal Prerogative

Answer 18

Monarch retains (in theory and law), power to carry out the functions of the head of state e.g. commanding the armed forces. In a democracy we can’t allow an unelected monarch to yield power - delegated to P.M

Question 19

Popular Mandate

Answer 19

Leader of party becoming more important in deciding votes at elections, thus PM can claim a mandate

Question 20

Parliament

Answer 20

PM parliamentary leader as he has majority, some augment power with personal qualities. Margaret Thatcher dominant personality admired/feared. Tony Blair charismatic thus increasing influence.

Question 21

The Six Roles of the Prime Minister

Answer 21

1. Making Governments - Power to hire and fire
2. Directing Govt Policy - Sets overall direction (esp economic and foreign policy)
3. Managing cabinet System - Chairs meetings, length etc
4. Organising Govt - Set up/Abolish, reorganise depts and civil service
5. Controlling Parliament - As leader of majority party
6. National Leadership - Elected by people (indirectly), link to people

Question 22

Functions of the Prime Minister

Answer 22

Chief Policy Maker, Head of Government, Chief Government Spokesperson, Commander-in-Chief of armed forces, Chief foreign-policy maker and Parliamentary Leader

Question 23

What is a Cabinet Government?

Answer 23

A system of government in which executive power is vested in a cabinet whose members exercise collective responsibility, rather than in a single office.
The prime minister is first among equals’ the fundamental characteristic of British politics is party. British politics are party politics. Politicians who progress through the British system do so within parties. They are recruited by parties, trained by parties, financed by parties and sponsored by parties. ​
In the case of Mrs Thatcher, the most dominant Prime Minister since the Second World War, the party system again prevailed. The party reasserted itself, her Cabinet colleagues moved to remove her and she lost.​

Question 24

Presidentalisation

Answer 24

The idea that UK prime ministers have taken on some of the characteristics of presidents because of the emergence of a personalised form of leadership. It is characterised by:​
Spatial leadership (the distancing of the prime minister from his or her government) ​
Public outreach (the tendency of the prime minister to reach out to the public directly) ​

Question 25

What is the Civil Service?

Answer 25

The Civil Service is the permanent part of government. It is the Civil Service who do all the actual work in each government department. They carry out the orders of the elected politicians.​

Question 26

What does the Cabinet do?

Answer 26

Meets regularly, responsible for introducing, and guiding most UK legislation. Responsible for the supervision of the numerous civil servants, who implement government policy. It is collectively responsible to Parliament. ​

Question 27

What does the Cabinet Minister do?

Answer 27

Minister takes responsibility strategic planning and decision making of dept. of his or her department. Appointed due general political skill, rather first hand knowledge. ​In charge of a small number of junior ​ministers (usually fellow MPs).​

Question 28

Main Powers of the Prime Minister

Answer 28

Main resources available to a prime minister are:​

Patronage​
Authority within the cabinet system​
Party leadership​
Public standing​
Policy-making role​
The Prime Minister’s Office​

Question 29

Patronage Powers and Limits

Answer 29

Power:​
Appoints ministers​
Can place allies in key roles​
Dismisses ministers​
Can appoint outsiders to government​
​Limits:​
Senior colleagues have claims to posts​
Desirability of ideological balance​
Botched reshuffles create rivals​
Availability of talent

Question 30

Authority in the Cabinet Powers and Limitations

Answer 30

Power:​
Chairs and manages cabinet meetings​
Steers, and sums up cabinet discussions​
Creates cabinet committees and appoints their members​
Uses bilateral meetings with ministers to steer policy​
​Limits:​
Problems if senior ministers feel ignored​
Senior ministers may challenge prime minister’s policy preference​
Not involved in detailed policy-making in cabinet committees ​
Ministers represent departmental interests, not PMs​

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Question 31

Party Leadership

Answer 31

Powers:
authority as the leader of a political party​
elected by MPs and party members​
enjoys a majority in the House of Commons
Limits:​
support of party is not unconditional​
possibility of backbench rebellions

Question 32

Public Standing

Answer 32

Powers
Has higher public profile than other ministers​
Communicator-in-chief for the government​
National leader in times of crisis
Limits ​
Unpopularity with voters undermines authority – ie Thatcher, Blair.​
Blamed for government’s failings​
Expected to represent the public mood - pressure

Question 33

Policy Making

Answer 33

Powers:​
directs government policy and sets the agenda​
authority to become involved in policy areas of choosing​
takes the key role in times of crisis
Limits:
limited time and lack of detailed knowledge​
lacks the resources provided by a government department​
may be difficult to achieve policy success

Question 34

Prime Ministers Office

Answer 34

Power
Provides advice and support and allows for more centralisation and policy control​
Limit​
Has limited resources, not as large as some of the govt departments. Staff members tend to be more transitory.