The Executive Flashcards
1
Q
What is the executive?
A
The group of MPs / peers that is responsible for running the government.
2
Q
What are the most important members of the executive?
A
The PM and cabinet ministers.
3
Q
What does the cabinet consist of?
A
Heads of departments of state (home secretary, foreign secretary, chief whip etc.)
Junior ministers are also members of the government, although do not often attend cabinet meetings.
4
Q
Who serves the executive?
A
Senior civil servants who run administration of the departments of state and implement governmental policies.
5
Q
Who is the most senior civil servant?
A
Cabinet secretary
6
Q
Who does the PM take advice from?
A
Key political advisers who work for him.
7
Q
Who is the core executive?
A
The most important members of the government.
Cabinet, senior civil servants and key political advisers based in the PM’s private office.
8
Q
What is secondary legislation?
A
Delegated legislation, the process by which primary legislation can be amended by government departments without requiring another Act of Parliament.
9
Q
How does the executive govern the nation?
A
• Proposals for new legislation based on it’s manifesto.
• The ‘doctor’s mandate’.
• Introduces a budget.
• Introduce secondary (delegated) legislation.
10
Q
What are the sources of power of the PM?
A
They have been asked, by the monarch, to form a government on their behalf.
The PM is almost always the leader of the largest party in the Commons.
The PM should be a member of the Commons and therefore democratically elected. (Convention)
11
Q
What is the royal prerogative?
A
The executive power of the monarchy being transferred to the PM.
12
Q
As a result of the transfer of the royal prerogative, the PM:
A
• Determines membership of the government.
• Makes senior appointments to the civil service and judiciary.
• Appointment of life peers to the Lords.
• Negotiation of foreign treaties.
• Direction of military forces in combat.
• Decides whether to launch Trident missiles.
13
Q
What is the PM the key figure in?
A
Casting the narrative of their government.
Thatcher with free-market principles.
Cameron with socially liberal principles.
14
Q
What is a cabinet minister?
A
A senior member of government.
Most members of the cabinet head a department of state and therefore have a major administrative and policy-making function.
They are bound by collective ministerial responsibility.
15
Q
What is a government department?
A
An executive branch of government.
Implementation of government policy to administer its areas of interest and control.
16
Q
What is the function of government departments?
A
Manage their area of government and develop policy.
17
Q
What is individual ministerial responsibility?
A
The principle that members of cabinet take ultimate responsibility for what occurs within their department.
18
Q
Why are ministers account to Parliament for the actions of their department?
A
According to individual ministerial responsibility.
19
Q
How should individual ministers justify the actions of their department?
A
Parliamentary debate
Written responses
Appearing before select committees
20
Q
What happens if there is a serious mistake within a ministers department?
A
The minister is expected to resign.
21
Q
For what reason should a minister resign, in accordance with individual ministerial responsibility?
A
• Administrative Failure
• Policy Failure
22
Q
Why do some ministers hold onto ministerial posts despite policy or administrative failure?
A
They argue that they are not personally responsible for the actions of their department or government policy.
23
Q
Why has it become easier for ministers to distance themselves for departmental failures?
A
The government has increasingly delegated services to non-civil service agencies.
24
Q
Why are MPs expected to resign if their personal conduct is inappropriate?
A
It brings the government into disrepute.
‘Ministers of the Crown are expected to maintain high standards of public behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety.
25
Why has the personal conduct of MPs become more difficult to hide?
The emergence of 24 hour news.
26
What is collective ministerial responsibility?
All members of the government must publicly support the government and should not disclose the contents of private ministerial discussions.
If the administration is defeated on a vote of no confidence, the convention also states that all members of the government must resign.
27
What happens if a government loses a vote of no-confidence?
The entire government is expected to resign.
28
Why is the entire government expected to resign after a lost vote of no confidence?
The principle of collective ministerial responsibility.
29
What does collective ministerial responsibility mean in the real world?
• Discussions within cabinet must be kept secret to maintain the
integrity of government.
• Members of government must support governmental policies publically, even if they disagree in private.
• If a minister cannot agree with a policy publically, they must resign.
30
What happens in instances of coalition governments in regards to collective ministerial responsibility?
Certain areas are made exempt from collective ministerial
responsibility.
31
What have been the biggest instances of collective ministerial responsibility failing?
EEC / EU membership.
32
How did Wilson's Labour government in 1975 deal with the divisions over EEC membership?
He allowed members of his government to campaign on different sides, despite the policy of the government being to remain in the EEC.
This meant that support came from outside of the cabinet (different parties) for both join and leave.
33
How did Cameron's government of 2016 deal with divisions over EU membership?
He suspended collective ministerial responsibility to allow pro-remain and pro-leave ministers to debate against each other.
34
Why has EU membership damaged collective ministerial responsibility?
Many ministers and backbenchers feel very strongly one way or another so disobey party whips to vote with their conscience.
35
How many people are in the cabinet?
20 to 25.
36
How often does the cabinet meet?
Usually, once a week on Thursday morning for no more than 2 hours.
37
Who sets the agenda, chairs and approves minutes of the cabinet meeting?
The PM.
38
What important roles do cabinet play?
• Many decisions are taken elsewhere in the executive, so cabinet approves them.
• Cabinet determines key issues of policy.
• Decides how the government will determine business.
• If an dispute between two departments of state is impossible to resolve, the issue can be brought to cabinet as a final court of appeal.
• Cabinet committees develop and implement specific policy.
39
Why is the PM under pressure to appoint influential colleagues into their cabinet?
It would be politically impossible to leave out 'heavy-hitters' from your cabinet.
40
Why does the PM promote key supporters to cabinet posts?
They can rely on their unwavering (hmm...) support during disputes and crises.
41
Why is it advantageous to appoint potential rivals into government?
They are bound by collective ministerial responsibility and so cannot criticise the government.
The appointment might actually cultivate their loyalty.
42
Why do PM's appoint members of their party who have different views to them? (be it socially, economically, politically etc.)
A balance of cabinet is necessary to prevent alienation of certain sections of the party.
43
How have cabinets become more balanced since Theresa May?
She wanted a cabinet that 'looks like the country it serves'.
She advanced many females and minorities to further this goal.
44
What is a cabinet government?
A type of administration in which the cabinet always plays a key role in the development of policy.
45
What is a prime-ministerial government?
A type of administration in which the PM is the dominant force in decision making, with the cabinet being relegated to a subordinate decision-making role.
46
Why are there disagreements over the influence of cabinet?
According to the English Constitution, the 'cabinet is the most powerful body in the state' and the PM is first among equals.
According to others, the large size of the cabinet precludes constructive debate.
47
Why is there a claim that the UK has shifted towards a prime-ministerial government rather than a cabinet government?
The PM is treated so presidentially by the media, so they have already decided the focus and direction of their government without needing to talk it through cabinet.
48
Who developed the policy unit in Downing
Street?
Harold Wilson.
49
Why was the policy unit developed in Downing
Street?
To provide Wilson with his own support and advice in developing political strategy.
50
Why was the position of Chief of Staff created?
To co-ordinate governmental policy.
51
How did Powell describe his appointment as
Chief of Staff?
Under Blair, Powell was appointed as Chief of Staff.
He described his appointment as demonstrating a 'change from a feudal system of barons to a more Napoleonic system'.
52
Why was the PMs Strategy Unit and PMs
Delivery Unit established?
To set department targets and monitor the performance of cabinet minIsters.
53
Why were the Strategy Unit and Delivery Unit abolished?
Cameron abolished them over fears of too much micro-management.
54
Why was the Press Office created at Downing
Street?
To ensure that Downing Street had more control over how stories were presented and responded to.
55
Why is it still wrong to dismiss the powers of cabinet?
It is still the most powerful and influential members of a political
party.
The PM would be unwise to ignore their political expertise and experience.
56
Why does the power of cabinet change?
The powers are mostly dependent on the personality of the PM and / or political circumstances.
57
Does the cabinet play a central role in British government? (Yes)
• A PM will need to discuss options with cabinet during a politial crises.
•Relying on the cabinet should reduce a PM's reliance on the
Commons.
• If a controversial issue is to be resolved, cabinet agreement is vital to ensure that the government is united.
• On certain occasions, cabinet can challenge the authority of the PM.
• Cabinet's can elect to not support the PM during a leadership challenge.
58
Does the cabinet play a central role in British government? (No)
• If the PM has a clear political agenda, then the cabinet will be reduced to a subordinate decision making agenda.
• Some PM's choose to make decisions with key advisors rather than the whole government.
• The PM can push issues through cabinet if they are certain they will work. (Margaret Thatcher Poll Tax)
• Certain PM's discourage cabinet discussion, preferring to have already made decisions prior to the cabinet meeting. (Tony Blair
'sofa government')
59
Give two examples of how PMs can approach cabinet?
The IMF loan 1976
The Westland affair 1986
60
What was the IMF loan?
In 1976, the Labour government was in turmoil over whether to accept IMF loans with demands for massive cuts in public spending.
61
Why did the IMF loan serve as an example of how to approach cabinet?
The PM, Jim Callaghan allowed cabinet to fully debate the issue.
62
What was the Westland Affair?
The Department for State and Trade and Industry and the
Department of Defence clashed over whether a Westland Helicopters (British firm) should be taken over by an American or European bid.
63
Why did the Westland Affair serve as an example of how cabinets could be approached?
Defence secretary, Michael Heseltine complained that Thatcher's obvious bias towards American business undermined genuine cabinet debate.
64
Give an example of the PM being the dominant force in politics?
Harold Macmillan sacking a third of his cabinet.
65
How did Macmillan's mass sacking change his power?
It gave the impression that he had lost his political touch and was in panic.
The press changed his nickname from 'Supermac' to 'Mac the Knife'
This was followed by the Profumo scandal which started as a typical
Tory sleaze case but quickly turned to a case of national security.
His reputation never recovered and he resigned office in October 1963.
The PM was the dominant force, but the media and other cabient members fought back.
66
What was Edward Heath's main achievement
in office?
Negotiating the UK's entry into the EEC in 1973.
67
How was Heath's authority challenged while in office?
Miners' strikes in both 1972 and 1974 threatening the nation's energy supplies.
Dramatic rise in the price of oil causing mass global inflation, undermining the government's economic strategy.
68
How did Callaghan challenge the postwar economic consensus?
In the 1976 Labour Party Conference, he said:
The cosy world we were told would go on forever, where full employment would be guaranteed by a stroke of the Chancellor's pen, cutting taxes, defect spending; that cosy world is gone.'
69
Why was Callaghan's speech at the 1976 Labour Party conference interesting?
It was a sudden and dramatic change in government policy from high spending to deflationary measures.
70
Did Callaghan's commitment to deflation prove to be successful?
Yes, at the beginning of his tenure.
71
Why did the 1979 General Election come at such a bad time for Labour?
He had been abandoned by Liberal and nationalist parties.
Just after the Winter of Discontent.
72
How did John Major immediately change the dynamic of the
Conservative government?
Removal of the poll tax.
Opted out of the social chapter in the Maastricht Treaty.
73
How much of a majority did Major achieve in
1992?
21.
74
Why did Major's small majority cause problems?
It allowed eurosceptic Tory MPs the opportunity to disrupt the party.
75
How did Major try and remove the divisions within the Conservative party?
He resigned leadership of the Conservative party and told eurosceptic critics to either 'put up or shut up'.
He won the ensuing leadership ballot by 218 to 89.
76
How did Major's solution to euroscepticism in the Tory party backfire?
His opponent won 89 votes from MPs which only further exposed divisions in the party and highlighted his declining power as PM.
77
How did Major's authority further decline after trying to solve the Eurosceptic problem?
Constant media criticism.
Ministerial sleaze.
Tony Blair's combative leadership of the Labour party.
78
Did Cameron's austerity programme work?
Yes.
Major cuts were given to public expenditure.
79
How did Cameron use his authority during his tenure?
Supporting same-sex marriage.
Trying to support remain in the EU referendum.
80
How was Cameron's authority curtailed during his first tenure as PM?
• He was forced to allow a referendum on electoral reform in 2011.
• Could not reform parliamentary boundaries after the Lib Dems withdrew support.
• Could not persuade Parliament to support bombing President
Assad in 2013.
81
Why was Cameron's authority curtailed during his first tenure?
He was part of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
82
How did Cameron keep the Conservative party united going into the
2015 General Election?
Promise for a referendum on EU membership.
83
Did coalition government strengthen
Cameron's power as PM? (Yes)
• Cameron was given a stable government.
• Cameron still fulfilled most of his manifesto commitments.
• Collective ministerial responsibility still applied to the coalition.
• The coalition lasted for the full term (helped by the Fixed Term
Parliaments Act 2011)
84
Did coalition government strengthen
Cameron's power as PM? (No)
• Cameron was forced to give cabinet positions to five Lib Dems.
• Cameron had to agree to a referendum on AV.
• The Lords suspended the Salisbury Convention so that it could oppose measures in the governing parties' manifestos.
• The Quad was established in which core policies had to be agreed by Cameron, Osborne, Clegg and Alexander (Chief Secretary to the Cabinet [Liberal Democrat])
85
Why have some political commentators argued that the PM is becoming more presidential?
• PM's are increasingly dominant in cabinet.
• The media is more obsessed with their characters.
86
Where can presidentialism in British politics be traced back to?
1960s, Harold Wilson.
He used TV to reach out to the public, regularly took pictures with celebrities such as the Beatles and the cast of Coronation Street.
87
What did Michael Foley link the presidential model to?
'Spatial Leadership'
88
What is 'spatial leadership'?
The PM creates their own space by distancing themselves from the party to secure a personal mandate directly from the public like the
President does.
89
Why has the development of the media allowed more presidential PMs?
The media has an appetite for celebrity news and enthusiastic coverage of personal intervention in global crises.
90
Which PMs have had presidential tendencies?
Harold Wilson, Thatcher and Blair.
91
Who did the media focus on during the Falklands War and Miners' Strike?
The PM, Thatcher.
92
Why was the personal rhetoric of Blair effective?
It emphasised his moral focus, developing his personality with the public above less ideologically driven politicians.
the people entrusted me with the task of leading their country'
'this is the Britain I offer you'
93
How did Blair's personal intervention improve
Northern Ireland?
His interventions were always very high-profile to drive forward the NI peace process.
94
His interventions were always very high-profile to drive forward the NI peace process.
He put the case for war directly to the public through television and debate, reaching beyond Parliament to the people.
95
What happens to cabinet under the
Presidential model?
The cabinet becomes more irrelevant as the PM can afford to ignore cabinet because they have their own popular mandate directly from the people.
96
How did Blair enhance the presidential atmosphere of Downing Street?
• Chief of Staff created.
• PMs Private Office and Cabinet Office were enlarged to provide greater control from the centre.
97
How did Cameron use the media to associate decisions with himself rather than government?
• He associated his personal authority with gay marriage.
• 2014 Scottish Indy Ref
• 2016 Brexit Ref
98
How have party leaders seen the spotlight more in recent times?
The 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 elections all had televised debates.
(More presidential)
99
What principle is the government based on?
Collective ministerial responsibility.
100
Why does a British PM not possess an electoral mandate from the public?
They are indirectly elected.
101
What determines the power of the PM?
A parliamentary majority and support of their party.
102
Why have PMs resigned in the past?
James Callaghan was forced to call a general election when he lost a vote of no confidence.
Thatcher resigned after she lost support of her cabinet.
103
What PMs have been unable to present presidential qualities?
John Major in 1992.
Gordon Brown in 2008.
Theresa May in 2016.
104
Why was John Major unable to present as a presidential figure?
He had a collegiate approach to politics and his party became split over the issue of EU membership.
105
He had a collegiate approach to politics and his party became split over the issue of EU membership.
He was uncharismatic and was ruthlessly mocked for this reason by the press.
106
Why was Theresa May unable to present a presidential demeanor?
She was unable to engage with the public in 2017 and lost her parliamentary majority.
107
Why should PMs be careful to act too presidential?
It is likely to antagonise the Commons, from where they derive political power.
108
What are the main consitutional differences between Presidents and PMs?
• PMs are not directly elected, whereas presidents are.
• PM is accountable for legislature, presidents are not.
• PM is not head of state, president is.
• PM works closely with cabinet, whereas president does not.
109
Who helped Wilson make most of his decisions?
The 'kitchen' cabinet of trusted advisors.
110
What did Short describe Wilson's cabinet as?
The 'doodling' cabinet because so little of importance was discussed.
111
How was Wilson's presidential PMship undermined?
• The white paper to introduce legal restrictions on trade union power led to a row within cabinet with Home Secretary lames
Callaghan forcing Wilson into a climb-down.
• Promise of a referendum on EEC membership divided the Labour party, so he had to allow a free vote by cabinet.
112
Why was Thatcher forced to thoroughly disucss policy with cabinet?
She had to balance support from those who were associated with Heath and more one-nation elements of the party.
113
How did Thatcher initially use cabinet?
• Allowed extensive cabinet debate over Geoffrey Howe's tax raising budget.
• After the Argentine invasion of the Falklands, Thatcher called an emergency meeting of cabinet.
114
When did Thatcher begin to operate in a more presidential manner?
After the Falklands War and miner success.
115
Why did Heseltine resign as defence secretary?
During the Westland crisis, he felt he was no longer being listened to.
116
How did Thatcher choose to make decisions
towards the end of her tenure?
She made decisions with a small group of key advisers who shared her political opinions.
117
Why did the failure to consult cabinet prove to be Thatcher's downfall?
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nigel Lawson, resigned because he felt Thatcher listened to her special economics adviser, Alan Walters, more than him.
After this high profile resignation, her authority was significantly undermined.
118
Why did Eurosceptisism from Thatcher harm her position in the
Conservative party?
Her speeches became more eurosceptic which was at odds with most of her cabinet.
Deputy PM, Geoffrey Howe resigned as a result.
119
Why did Thatcher not survive once Heseltine had enough votes to challenge her for leadership?
She needed the support of cabinet, but because she had taken then for granted, the cabinet told her she should resign because she would
lose.
120
Why did Thatcher not survive once Heseltine had enough votes to challenge her for leadership?
She needed the support of cabinet, but because she had taken then for granted, the cabinet told her she should resign because she would
lose.
121
Why did Thatcher not survive once Heseltine had enough votes to challenge her for leadership?
She needed the support of cabinet, but because she had taken then for granted, the cabinet told her she should resign because she would
lose.
122
What did Thatcher say about her cabinet (betrayal)?
'treachery with a smile.'
123
Why did Blair have a massive personal mandate to implement change?
His initial parliamentary majority of 179.
124
Why did Blair's rapport with the British people allow him to ignore cabinet?
He reached beyond traditional party loyalties, persuading him that cabinet was insignificant.
125
How was Blair's government been described?
A 'command prime-ministership'
126
How was the cabinet completely ignored during Blair's first term?
They found out about decisions that had already been made in the PM's private office.
127
What was Blair's first big non-cabinet decision?
Both him and Gordon Brown (CotE) agreed to give interest-raising powers to the Bank of England.
128
Why was giving interest raising powers to the Bank of England an important decision?
It, in theory, encouraged economic stability by preventing government from manipulating interest rates to its advantage.
129
Why was giving interest raising powers to the Bank of England an important decision?
It, in theory, encouraged economic stability by preventing government from manipulating interest rates to its advantage.
130
What proved the biggest mistake of Blair's tenure as PM?
The Iraq War.
He did not consult cabinet, and those that did accept it, did so as a fait accompli.
131
Where did Blair's cabinet dominance come
into a roadblock?
Part of the deal that ensured Brown did not run against Blair agreed that Brown would have full control of the British economy.
132
Where did Brown and Blair disagree consistently over economic policy?
Blair wanted to join the European single currency, but Brown consistently roadblocked this.
133
What reasons led to Blair's resignation?
• Legalities over the Iraq War.
• Political fallout of the 2005 GE where the Labour party won only
35.2% of the popular vote.
134
Why did the Labour party want to move away from Blair?
He had become an electoral liability, with cabinet looking to Brown to provide government with a new dynamic to challenge a youthful David Cameron.
135
Why was Theresa May expected to provide firm leadership?
• She had survived 6 years as home secretary.
• She had 61% support from the Parliamentary Conservative party.
• She had a clear vision of what she wanted to achieve in her first
speech.
• Corbyn's awful approval ratings.
136
How did May immediately stamp her authority over cabinet?
She ruthlessly reshuffled cabinet.
Osborne out as CotE, Hammond in.
Amber Rudd as Home Secretary.
137
How did Theresa May throw her personal prestige around?
• Reintroduction of grammar schools.
• Free vote on fox hunting.
• Repealing the HRA for British Bill of Rights.
138
How did Theresa May interact with cabinet prior to calling a snap general election?
She did not.
She spoke with joint chiefs of staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill
139
How was the Conservative manifesto written during the snap general election of Theresa May?
From Downing Street, with no input from cabinet.
140
From Downing Street, with no input from cabinet.
Her poor campaigning was personally associated with the government's loss of her parliamentary majority.
141
What happened to May's ambitious policies as a result of losing her parliamentary majority?
They almost all had to be scrapped as the government had to focus all of its energy on achieving Brexit.
