The Executive Flashcards
What is the executive?
The group of MPs / peers that is responsible for running the government.
What are the most important members of the executive?
The PM and cabinet ministers.
What does the cabinet consist of?
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.
Who serves the executive?
Senior civil servants who run administration of the departments of state and implement governmental policies.
Who is the most senior civil servant?
Cabinet secretary
Who does the PM take advice from?
Key political advisers who work for him.
Who is the core executive?
The most important members of the government.
Cabinet, senior civil servants and key political advisers based in the PM’s private office.
What is secondary legislation?
Delegated legislation, the process by which primary legislation can be amended by government departments without requiring another Act of Parliament.
How does the executive govern the nation?
• Proposals for new legislation based on it’s manifesto.
• The ‘doctor’s mandate’.
• Introduces a budget.
• Introduce secondary (delegated) legislation.
What are the sources of power of the PM?
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)
What is the royal prerogative?
The executive power of the monarchy being transferred to the PM.
As a result of the transfer of the royal prerogative, the PM:
• 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.
What is the PM the key figure in?
Casting the narrative of their government.
Thatcher with free-market principles.
Cameron with socially liberal principles.
What is a cabinet minister?
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.
What is a government department?
An executive branch of government.
Implementation of government policy to administer its areas of interest and control.
What is the function of government departments?
Manage their area of government and develop policy.
What is individual ministerial responsibility?
The principle that members of cabinet take ultimate responsibility for what occurs within their department.
Why are ministers account to Parliament for the actions of their department?
According to individual ministerial responsibility.
How should individual ministers justify the actions of their department?
Parliamentary debate
Written responses
Appearing before select committees
What happens if there is a serious mistake within a ministers department?
The minister is expected to resign.
For what reason should a minister resign, in accordance with individual ministerial responsibility?
• Administrative Failure
• Policy Failure
Why do some ministers hold onto ministerial posts despite policy or administrative failure?
They argue that they are not personally responsible for the actions of their department or government policy.
Why has it become easier for ministers to distance themselves for departmental failures?
The government has increasingly delegated services to non-civil service agencies.
Why are MPs expected to resign if their personal conduct is inappropriate?
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.
Why has the personal conduct of MPs become more difficult to hide?
The emergence of 24 hour news.
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.
What happens if a government loses a vote of no-confidence?
The entire government is expected to resign.
Why is the entire government expected to resign after a lost vote of no confidence?
The principle of collective ministerial responsibility.
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.
What happens in instances of coalition governments in regards to collective ministerial responsibility?
Certain areas are made exempt from collective ministerial
responsibility.
What have been the biggest instances of collective ministerial responsibility failing?
EEC / EU membership.
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.
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.
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.
How many people are in the cabinet?
20 to 25.
How often does the cabinet meet?
Usually, once a week on Thursday morning for no more than 2 hours.
Who sets the agenda, chairs and approves minutes of the cabinet meeting?
The PM.
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.
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.
Why does the PM promote key supporters to cabinet posts?
They can rely on their unwavering (hmm…) support during disputes and crises.
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.
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.
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.
What is a cabinet government?
A type of administration in which the cabinet always plays a key role in the development of policy.
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.
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.
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.
Who developed the policy unit in Downing
Street?
Harold Wilson.
Why was the policy unit developed in Downing
Street?
To provide Wilson with his own support and advice in developing political strategy.
Why was the position of Chief of Staff created?
To co-ordinate governmental policy.
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’.
Why was the PMs Strategy Unit and PMs
Delivery Unit established?
To set department targets and monitor the performance of cabinet minIsters.
Why were the Strategy Unit and Delivery Unit abolished?
Cameron abolished them over fears of too much micro-management.
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.
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.
Why does the power of cabinet change?
The powers are mostly dependent on the personality of the PM and / or political circumstances.
