The Executive

Question 1

what are the three branches of government?

Answer 1

The government is made up of the executive, legislature and judiciary

The legislature makes laws (Parliament)

The judiciary interprets the law through rulings in court cases

Question 2

what is the executive?

Answer 2

The executive is the government

it is the decision-making branch/body of government consisting of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and junior ministers

at the heart of the political system — the chief source of political leadership and in control of the policy process

takes and implements decisions on policy and is responsible for executing or implementing government policy

Question 3

what is cabinet?

Answer 3

cabinet is a group of senior ministers chaired by the Prime Minister

they are the main collective decision-making body

The Prime Minister can only govern with the full support of cabinet, decisions are reached on a collective basis

Question 4

what is a minister?

Answer 4

A minister is a member of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords who serves in government, usually exercising specific responsibilities in a department (e.g. the minister of education)

Question 5

what is the structure of the executive?

Answer 5

prime Minister

The cabinet

Government departments

executive agencies

Question 6

structure of the executive: PRIME MINISTER

Answer 6

The prime minister is the head of the executive

chairs the cabinet and manages its agenda

appoints all members of cabinet and junior ministers too

decides who sits on Cabinet committees

organises the structure of government and can create, abolish or merge departments

Question 7

structure of the executive: THE CABINET

Answer 7

The cabinet consists of 20-23 senior ministers, it is headed by the Prime Minister

several senior figures are not part of cabinet but still attend its meetings

cabinet is the main collective decision-making body in the government

provides administrative support and help in delivering policy

cabinet Office is headed by the Cabinet secretary who is the U.K.’s most senior civil servant — The Cabinet office provides administrative support and help in delivering policy

cabinet committees take decisions dealing with particular areas of policy such as economic affairs and national security

accountable to Parliament

Question 8

structure of the executive: GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

Answer 8

each government department is responsible for an area of policy such as education, health and defence

for example, the Department for Transport or the Ministry of Defence

each department is headed by a cabinet minister who is supported by several junior ministers that are responsible for specific aspects of work in the department

Government department hierarchy…

1) secretary of State
2) minister of State (each department usually has a junior minister to represent in the Lords)
3) parliamentary Undersecretary of State

Question 9

structure of the executive: EXECUTIVE AGENCIES

Answer 9

executive agencies are semi-independent bodies that carry out some of the functions of government departments

For example, the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) is overseen by the Department of Transport

Question 10

what are the main roles of the executive?

Answer 10

decides how the country is run

represents the UK abroad

manages the defence of the country

responsible for public services (e.g. NHS, welfare benefits and the criminal justice system) — since devolution, some of these functions have been transferred from the core executive in Westminster to devolved bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

proposing legislation

proposing the budget

making policy decisions

Question 11

main roles of the executive: PROPOSING LEGISLATION

Answer 11

One of the main roles of the executive is proposing legislation, it introduces proposals for new laws or changes to existing laws

announces a new programme at the start of each Parliamentary session in the Queen’s speech — The Queen’s speech is written by the government but read out to both Houses by the Monarch

for example, in 2015, David Cameron‘s proposal for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU was featured in the Queen’s speech as a priority

The 2015 speech also included policies for measures to ensure that decisions affecting England would be made by English MPs (EVEL) and legislation to protect essential public services against strikes

proposes legislation in its general election manifesto but also has the power to introduce legislation to contend with emergencies, such as a threat of terrorism, which is known as ‘doctor’s mandate’

it can also amend existing statutes to bring the UK in line with international law

ministers often consult with pressure groups and professional bodies before introducing legislation — in 2015, the Cameron government consulted employers on its proposal to introduce an apprenticeship levy, which is a requirement for large companies to contribute towards the cost of training new workers, this was introduced in 2017

Question 12

main roles of the executive: PROPOSING THE BUDGET

Answer 12

another one of the executive’s key roles is proposing the budget

the budget is an annual statement that details the government’s plans for changes to taxation and public spending

it is created by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in consultation with the Prime Minister and is revealed to the rest of cabinet shortly before being delivered

it is usually presented to the House of Commons for approval in March, though from 2017 this is now November

if a new government comes to power after a general election it can introduce a budget of its own, even if the previous government already presented one — for example in 2010 George Osborne delivered an ‘emergency budget’ only 90 days after the previous Labour government’s budget

Question 13

main roles of the executive: MAKING POLICY DECISIONS

Answer 13

The executive also makes policy decisions and has to decide how to carry out its aims for the future direction of the country

for example, in 2010-15, the coalition government streamlined the welfare system by introducing a single benefit for working age people known as Universal Credit

it also allowed parents and voluntary groups to set up ’free schools’ that are independent of local councils and introduced more competition into the NHS via privatisation

Question 14

what are the main powers of the executive?

Answer 14

Royal prerogative powers

initiation of legislation

secondary legislation

Question 15

main powers of the executive: ROYAL PREROGATIVE POWERS

what are royal prerogative powers?

Answer 15

the executive has royal prerogative powers

this is a set of powers and privileges historically belonging to the Monarch but normally exercised by the Prime Minister and Cabinet — they are powers that have shifted from the monarchy to the Prime Minister over time

such as the granting of honours or of legal pardons

not defined in statute law but based largely on the practice of previous governments

Question 16

main powers of the executive: ROYAL PREROGATIVE POWERS

what are the main prerogative powers?

Answer 16

The main prerogative powers include…

• awarding honours
• declaring war
• authorising the use of Armed Forces
• signing treaties
• granting and withdrawing passports
• granting legal pardons
• appointing ministers

Question 17

main powers of the executive: ROYAL PREROGATIVE POWERS

recent example of the use of prerogative powers

Answer 17

SYRIA AIR STRIKES 2018

in April 2018, Theresa May sent airstrikes to Syria without approval from Parliament

Question 18

main powers of the executive: ROYAL PREROGATIVE POWERS

what has happened in regard to prerogative powers since Tony Blair’s government?

Answer 18

since Tony Blair’s government, two prerogative powers have been abolished or reformed…

• 2011 Fixed Term Parliaments Act — removed the right of the Prime Minister to choose the date of the general election

although, in 2017, Theresa May called an early election which shows it is possible to override the act with the support of enough MPs

• since Iraq war, military action requires prior Parliamentary approval or secure approval afterwards in the case of an emergency

Question 19

main powers of the executive: INITIATION OF LEGISLATION

what does this power involve?

Answer 19

another main power of the executive concerns the initiation of legislation

The executive controls most of Parliamentary time available for legislation — except 20 opposition days and 13 days for private member’s bills or BBBC debates

legislation can begin in either the House of Commons or the House of Lords but usually goes through the Commons first, especially the most important bills

they debate and vote on legislation several times

legislation can be introduced in either House

Question 20

main powers of the executive: INITIATION OF LEGISLATION

how can the government push through its legislation?

Answer 20

if the government has a large majority they can usually rely on the party whip and power of patronage to push through its programme

rebellions can occur but it is rare for a government to be defeated on the second or third reading of a bill

The executive uses the ‘guillotine’ (which dates back to 1887), formerly known as the ‘allocation of time motion’, to strengthen its hold over the passage of legislation — it allows the government to restrict debate on individual clauses of a bill

although this only applies in the House of Commons — for example, the Cameron government had to abandon is attempted to use the guillotine in a house of lords debate on the redrawing of constituency boundaries after facing opposition in 2011

Since 2002, the government can also carry over uncompleted legislation from one Parliamentary session to another without having to start from the beginning of the legislative process in the new session

The ‘programming motion’ enables the executive to set out time limits for each stage in the passage of a bill

Question 21

main powers of the executive: SECONDARY LEGISLATION

Answer 21

another one of the executive’s main powers concerns secondary legislation, which is law made without passing a whole new act of parliament

usually the government modifies or repeals existing legislation without introducing a new bill

often called Henry VIII clauses as they allow the government to avoid proper scrutiny (Parliament can debate and reject them but around 2/3 of them become law without being put before MPs)

critics have raised concerns about the growing use of secondary legislation to make controversial changes without proper scrutiny (e.g. in 2016, secondary legislation was used to abolish maintenance grants for university students and to allow fracking in national parks)

Question 22

what is Cabinet government?

Answer 22

cabinet government is a government where Cabinet works together collectively and the Prime Minister does not dominate

for example, John Major

Question 23

what is prime ministerial government?

Answer 23

prime ministerial government is a government where the prime minister is dominant in terms of the executive

for example, Margaret Thatcher

Question 24

what is presidentialism?

Answer 24

presidentialism means becoming more concerned with the leader of the party, including their personality, media representation and appearance

it therefore also means becoming less concerned with the party’s policies and the party as a whole

Question 25

what are the powers of the Prime Minister?

Answer 25

powers of the Prime Minister…

• appointing ministers and cabinet, as well as reshuffling (appointing and dismissing)
• creating and abolishing departments
• public face of the UK
• manages the agenda of the executive
• leader of their party in the House of Commons
• policy-making, including foreign policy

Question 26

factors undermining the power and authority of the Prime Minister

Answer 26

Coalition — having to share power with another party, restricts ability to exercise power as they often have to compromise

hung parliament — makes it harder to pass policy, which explains why Theresa May called an early election to try and gain a larger majority so she had more freedom to make policy

rebellions in parliament

negative media coverage

being undermined by cabinet — E.g. Jeremy Hunt and Theresa May

party divisions — E.g. divisions over Brexit and the EU, no collective responsibility

strong opposition

Question 27

current Cabinet ministers

Answer 27

Theresa May

David Liddington

Jeremy Hunt

Philip Hammond

Sajid Javid

Michael Gove

Amber Rudd

Penny Mourdant

Damian Hinds

Question 28

what is collective responsibility?

Answer 28

collective responsibility is the convention that a minister should resign if they want to publicly disagree with cabinet

Question 29

what are the powers of cabinet?

Answer 29

coordinates the actions of various departments of state

deciding and implementing government policy

organising government

providing collective leadership

privacy — does not release detailed information about its meetings, only after 30 years, this allows matters of national security to be discussed in private

command a majority in the House of Commons due to first past the post (usually) — this leads to effective policy development

subcommittees — look in greater detail at specific policy areas, made up of ministers and civil servants

Question 30

what are the limitations on Cabinet power?

Answer 30

governed by convention rather than statute law, meaning that their powers are not explicitly written down and therefore restricted

collective responsibility — decisions are binding on all members and dissent is unacceptable, a minister unable to publicly support government views should resign to ensure the government appears united

coalitions decline the strength of cabinet — this is because there is no clear majority, unable to make strong policy decisions

media leaks of private information undermines the power of cabinet

backbench rebellions — rebellions can defeat cabinet proposals especially if there is no overall majority to begin with

subcommittees may downgrade the role of cabinet — Margaret Thatcher was criticised for this (she sidelined cabinet and relied too heavily on subcommittees and specialist advisors)

prime ministers can affect the power of cabinet — some dominate while others want consensus

Question 31

different styles of government

Answer 31

Margaret Thatcher

John Major

Tony Blair

Gordon Brown

David Cameron

Question 32

styles of government: MARGARET THATCHER

Answer 32

Margaret Thatcher had an informal way of working with her private office

Charles Powell (private secretary, advising on foreign affairs), Bernard Ingham (press secretary) — relied on civil servants

not a collegiate prime minister, meaning she did not work with her cabinet, she was instead dominant over cabinet and very much in control

Michael Heseltine stood up and walked out of cabinet, being the first to do so and resign in 100 years

she sought to run a government within a government — instead of relying and working with her ministers she relied on her civil servants, this alienated her cabinet and weakened its power

was seen to be relatively out of touch and fell out with her party, eventually resigning in 1990 after losing their support and more importantly the support of her Cabinet

Question 33

styles of government: JOHN MAJOR

Answer 33

John Major‘s party was split over issues on the EU but he refused to fire the Eurosceptics, this undermined his authority

he preferred consensus and did not dominate like Margaret Thatcher did

Question 34

styles of government: TONY BLAIR

Answer 34

Tony Blair preferred working closely and informally with his special advisors rather than collectively making decisions with Cabinet — this was known as ‘sofa politics’

Alistair Campbell (spin doctor) was a key figure in Blair’s government, who Blair relied on a lot

Matthew Taylor was Blair’s political strategy advisor

Question 35

styles of government: GORDON BROWN

Answer 35

Gordon Brown wanted to overcome the ‘sofa politics’ that had occurred under Tony Blair and take the power/influence of unelected special advisors away

Damian McBride (a spin doctor) seriously damaged the reputation of special advisors and the Labour government due to his sex smear attempt on the Conservatives

known for indecisive micromanagement

Question 36

styles of government: DAVID CAMERON

Answer 36

David Cameron wanted to cut back on unelected special advisors but ended up bringing more in

Question 37

evaluate the view that the executive dominates Parliament: why is the relationship between the two very unusual at the moment?

Answer 37

at the moment, the relationship between the executive and Parliament is very unusual

Parliament is increasingly asserting itself during the Brexit process and is able to do so more due to the minority government

Question 38

evaluate the view that the executive dominates Parliament: EXECUTIVE CONTROLS PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA

(suggests the executive does dominate Parliament)

Answer 38

The executive controls the Parliamentary agenda — The government discusses what it wants to discuss and has control over legislation

it also has control over timing, what is discussed, et cetera

The government also normally has a strong majority due to FPTP which increases this control

Question 39

evaluate the view that the executive dominates Parliament: EXECUTIVE POWERS

(suggests the executive does dominate Parliament)

Answer 39

Government whips

Power of patronage — the power to appoint and dismiss ministers lies within the executive with the PM, meaning they can exert control over ambitious MPs who will usually side with the executive rather than challenging them and risk losing a potential promotion

the Prime Minister, who heads the executive, also has prerogative powers

for example, Tony Blair went ahead with the Iraq War without going through Parliament first

Theresa May also launched airstrikes on Syria without consulting Parliament

Question 40

evaluate the view that the executive dominates Parliament: HOUSE OF LORDS

(suggests the executive does dominate Parliament)

Answer 40

The executive are not required to listen to or act on the House of Lords recommendations

there are also severe restrictions on the power of the House of Lords such as the Salisbury convention

the House of Lords also tends to back down as they recognise they are the unelected house

Question 41

evaluate the view that the executive dominates Parliament: DOES NOT COMPLETELY CONTROL THE PARLIAMENTARY AGENDA

(suggests the executive does NOT dominate Parliament)

Answer 41

The executive does not completely control the Parliamentary agenda

for example, the Backbench Business Committee has allowed backbenchers a more key role — 35 days per Parliamentary session are allocated to the BBBC to choose topics to discuss

John Bercow has chosen and dictated certain topics of discussion within Parliament (e.g. not allowing Theresa May‘s bill to be discussed a third time)

he has also allowed more urgent questions than ever before, therefore giving more control to Parliament

role of the opposition

Question 42

evaluate the view that the executive dominates Parliament: SELECT COMMITTEES

(suggests the executive does NOT dominate Parliament)

Answer 42

select committees can put pressure on the executive to make amendments

for example the Justice Select Committee published a report on criminal charges in 2015 which influenced the executive and is an example of effective select committees

it recommended that the criminal courts charge should be removed and it was 2 months later

The chair of select committees is also elected rather than appointed by the executive

although, the government tends to have a majority in these committees

Question 43

evaluate the view that the executive dominates Parliament: HOUSE OF LORDS

(suggests the executive does NOT dominate Parliament)

Answer 43

The House of Lords is becoming increasingly proactive, assertive and willing to challenge the executive

Question 44

CASE STUDY: Justice Select Committee

an example of a select committee influencing the executive

Answer 44

In 2015, the Justice Select Committee published a report on criminal charges, recommending that the criminal courts charge should be removed

those found guilty had to pay a fee for court costs on top of a fine, and this cost was higher for those convicted after pleading not guilty

The then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the fee would ensure that criminals “pay their way” but MPs on the Justice Select Committee said it was “grossly disproportionate”

in December 2015, only two months after the report, Michael Gove (the then Justice Secretary) removed the court charge — he said ”as the Justice Select Committee set out in its recent report, there have been concerns raised about how [the criminal courts charge] has worked in practice”