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Politics Unit 2 > The Executive > Flashcards

The Executive Flashcards

1
Q

What is the role of the Executive branch of government?

A

To implement laws and policies made by Parliament/The Legislative branch

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2
Q

What are the two sections of the Executive?

A

The Poltical Executive, which is the government in office and the Official Executive, which is comprised of civil servants

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3
Q

What three criteria must a politician fulfil to become a Prime Minister?

A
  • They must be an MP
  • They must be the party leader
  • Their party usually has a majority in the House of Commons
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4
Q

What was the traditional view of the role of a prime minister?

A

‘Primus inter pares’; The prime minister was ‘first among equals’ in that they are the primary representative of government, but no more powerful than the rest of the cabinet

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5
Q

What are the aspects of the modern view of the role of the Prime minister?

A
  • Making Governments
  • Directing government policy
  • Managing the cabinet system
  • Organising government
  • Controlling Parliament
  • Providing National Leadership
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6
Q

Explain the Prime Ministers modern role of Making governments

A

The PM upon appointment has to choose all other members of cabinet, and has ‘hiring and firing’ powers which gives the PM a lot of control over the careers of other MPs

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7
Q

Explain the Prime Ministers modern role of directing government policy

A

The PM defines the overall direction of government policy and its strategic goals

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8
Q

Explain the Prime Ministers modern role of managing the cabinet system

A

The PM chairs cabinet meetings, decides the length and number, and staffs cabinet committees

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9
Q

Explain the Prime Ministers modern role of Organising government

A

The PM sets up, reorganises and abolishes government departments and civil services

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10
Q

Explain the Prime Ministers modern role of controlling Parliament

A

The PM is the leader of the majority party in Parliament so he mostly controls policy that is passed.

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11
Q

Explain the Prime Ministers modern role of providing national leadership

A

The PM needs to provide the role of national leader in times of national crises, major world events and wars.

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12
Q

What is the role of the cabinet?

A
  • Formal policy approval
  • Policy Coordination
  • Resolve disputes
  • Forum for debate
  • Party management/Election strategy
  • Dealing with Crises
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13
Q

Explain the Cabinet’s role of formal policy approval

A

Any policy proposed must be formally approved by the Cabinet.

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14
Q

Explain the Cabinet’s role of Policy Coordination

A

Helps to reconcile the responsibilities of ministers for their departments with their responsibility to the government as a whole.

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15
Q

Explain the Cabinet’s role of resolving disputes

A

Cabinet can act as a final court of appeal when disagreements between departments cannot be resolved at a lower level

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16
Q

Explain the Cabinet’s role of acting as a forum for debate

A

The cabinet can be used to raise issues or topics of discussion between departments

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17
Q

Explain the Cabinet’s role of party management

A

The cabinet is in charge of the views and morale of the party. This is why the chief whip is part of the cabinet.

18
Q

What is collective ministerial responsibility?

A

A concept that implies that all ministers are obliged to support government policy and are all collectively responsible for its successes and failures. If they do not, they must resign.

19
Q

What is individual ministerial responsibility?

A

It implies that ministers are responsible for their departments and should resign if there is a major blunder in the department.

20
Q

What are the 4 main theories of where power lies in the executive?

A
  • Cabinet government
  • PM Goverment
  • Presidentialism
  • Core Executive Model
20
Q

Explain the theory of Cabinet Government

A

The Cabinet is the dominant policy making body and senior executive organ. Policy is made democratically with each minister’s view having equal weighting. The PM is first among equals. The cabinet fuses the legislative and executive.

21
Q

Explain the theory of Prime Ministerial Government

A

The cabinet Is a subordinate body that acts as a source of advice and support for the PM, not a major policy making body. The PM dominates policy making. The PM ‘fuses’ the legislative and executive.

22
Q

List evidence that the PM is becoming more Presidential

A
  • Growth of Spatial Leadsrship.
  • Tendency towards Populist Outreach
  • Personalised election campaigns
  • Personal Mandates
  • Wider use of special advisors
  • Strengthened Cabinet Office
23
Q

Explain how the PM has become more presidential due to growth of spatial leadership?

A

Spatial leadership is the tendency for leaders to distance themselves from the party and government and developing a personal ideology (e.g. Thatcher and Thatcherism)

24
Q

Explain how the PM has become more presidential due to tendency towards populist outreach

A

This is the tendency for PMs to reach out directly to the public, presenting themselves as figures separate to the government, who is on the side of the ordinary citizen

25
Q

Explain how the PM has become more presidential due to personalised election campaigns

A

The media portrays election campaigns as personalised battles between candidates rather than parties. Party leaders have become the brand image of the party, so their popularity is important to their success

26
Q

Explain how the PM has become more presidential due to ‘personal mandates’

A

This is the trend for PMs to claim popular authority on the basis of their electoral success

27
Q

Explain how the PM has become more presidential due to the wider use of special advisors

A

PMs tend to rely more on hand picked personal advisors than the cabinet ministers or senior civil servants. These advisors have loyalty only to the PM, not the government.

28
Q

Explain how the PM has become more presidential due to a strengthened Cabinet Office.

A

The cabinet office is the body that services the cabinet system. Recently it’s increase in strength could make it seen as a small scale PM’s department responsible for coordinating the Cabinet

29
Q

What means the PM is different from a President?

A

He may resemble a president, but we live under parliamentary government, not presidential government. The PM is recruited through parliamentary elections, not separate presidential ones, as occurs in the U.S.

30
Q

What are the formal powers of the Prime Minister?

A
  • Appointment of Ministers and other senior figures
  • Dissolve and Recall of Parliament (Reduced due to fixed term parliaments)
  • Sign Treaties
  • Grant Honours
31
Q

What factors determine the PM’s level of power?

A

Public popularity
Unity in the party
Power of opposition
Size of Majority

32
Q

What are the key resources available to the Prime Minister in modern times?

A
  • Powers of Patronage
  • Management of the Cabinet
  • Leadership of the Party
  • Institutional Supports
  • Access to Media
33
Q

How do the powers of patronage strengthen the position of the PM?

A
  • Loyal supporters can be promoted and enemies can be demoted
  • Control of careers of politicians ensures back benchers stay loyal
34
Q

What are the limits of the hiring and firing powers of the PM?

A
  • Ministers must be MPs or Peers
  • Ministers must come from the majority party
  • necessity for representation of minorities and women limits choice
  • Opponents may be less dangerous in cabinet than out of it, due to CMR limiting their ability to oppose
35
Q

How does the power of cabinet management strengthen the position of the PM?

A

Controlling the cabinet system enables PMs to harness the decision making authority of the cabinet to meet their needs

36
Q

What are the limits of the PMs ability to control the Cabinet?

A
  • Cabinet support is dependent on the popularity of the PM

- In a coalition, PM needs to cater more to cabinet due to two parties

37
Q

How does party leadership strengthen the powers of the PM?

A
  • Allows PM to control parliament with the majority in the House of Commons
  • Sets the PM apart from the rest of the Cabinet
38
Q

What are the limitations to the PM in being party leader?

A
  • No PM can survive without the support of the party
39
Q

What two bodies provide institutional support to the PM?

A
  • The Cabinet Office

- The PM Office

Politics Unit 2 (3 decks)

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