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UK Politics > The prime minister and executive > Flashcards

The prime minister and executive Flashcards

1
Q

Institutions of the Executive

A

PM
Cabinet
Ministers
Government departments (administrative)

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2
Q

Functions of the executive

A

Making policy decisions
Proposing legislation
Proposing a budget

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3
Q

Powers of the executive

A

Prerogative powers - do not require parliamentary approval
Control of the legislative agenda - propose most bills and controls the legislative timetable
Powers of secondary legislation

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4
Q

Prime Minister’s Office

A

Policy advice

Communications

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5
Q

Power of the PM

A 
Patronage
Authority over the cabinet
Policy-making input - overarching
Party leadership
Public standing
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6
Q

Roles of government ministers

A

Policy leadership
Representing departmental interests
Departmental management
Relations with parliament

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7
Q

Role of government departments

A

Providing policy advice to ministers
Managing public spending
Fostering relationships with pressure groups
Policy implementation

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8
Q

Ministerial responsibility

A

Collective ministerial responsibility

Individual ministerial responsibilty

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9
Q

Institutional power resources of the PM (pre-eminence)

A

Leadership of the government
The Prime Minister’s Office
Setting the political agenda

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10
Q

Personal power resources of the PM (predominance)

A

Leadership ability and reputation
Association with political success
Electoral popularity
A high standing within their party

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11
Q

Presidentialisation of the PM

A

Personalised leadership
Public outreach
Spatial leadership

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12
Q

Role of the PM

A 
Political leadership
National leadership
Appointing the government
Chairing the cabinet
Managing the executive
Prerogative powers
Managing relations with parliament
Representing the UK in international affairs
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13
Q

Patronage powers of the PM

A

Appoint government ministers
Appoint life peers
The honours system

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14
Q

PM’s authority of the executive

A

Chairs cabinet meetings
Creates cabinet committees
Holds bilateral meetings with ministers
Appoints senior civil servants

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15
Q

Elements of collective responsibility

A

Secrecy
Binding decisions
Confidence vote (last happened?)

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16
Q

Exceptions to collective ministerial responsibility

A

Referendums
Coalition
Free votes

17
Q

Strains on collective responsibility

A

Leaks
Dissent
Prime-ministerial dominance

18
Q

Grounds for resignation based on individual ministerial responsibility

A

Mistakes made within departments
Policy failure
Personal misconduct

19
Q

Principles of the civil service

A

Impartiality
Anonymity
Permanence
Meritocracy

20
Q

Pro cabinet is submissive to the PM

A

PM able to appoint their own supporters to the cabinet and dismiss ministers who disagree with them
PM has control over the cabinet agenda
Greater role of the PMO in directing and coordinating policy across government
PM can claim a personal mandate from the public and their party

21
Q

Anti cabinet is submissive to the PM

A

Senior ministers can frustrate the PM by threatening to resign - IDS / Boris

22
Q

Pro PM has become more Presidential

A

Increasingly rely on close circle of senior ministers and advisers

23
Q

Anti PM has become more Presidential

A

Requires the support of ministers to achieve their objectives
Face pressure from within their own party to be removed if unpopular

24
Q

Pro coalition as a constraint on the power of Cameron as PM

A

Could not dismiss Lib Dem ministers without Clegg’s approval

Required to manage tensions between the two parties in addition to dissent within his own party

25
Q

Anti coalition as a constraint on the power of Cameron as PM

A

Retained significant patronage powers, such as making appointments to cabinet committees
Still determined the overall direction of government policy and its response to key issues
Coalition decisions often smoother than those between Blair and Brown
Coalition government allows Cameron to form a stable parliamentary majority

26
Q

Prerogative powers

A

Deploying the armed forces overseas
International diplomacy
Patronage

27
Q

Limits to the prerogative powers of the executive in recent years

A

Constitutional convention that parliament votes on the deployment of the armed forces overseas
e.g. Against airstrikes in Syria in 2013, in favour in 2015
Power to call a General Election removed by the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011

28
Q

Example of a mistake made within a department leading to a minister resigning

A

Sir Thomas Dugdale
Agriculture Minister
1954
Crichel Down land case

29
Q

Example of a policy failure leading to a minister resigning

A

James Callaghan
Chancellor of the Exchequer
1967
Devaluation of the Sterling

30
Q

Example of personal misconduct leading to a minister resigning

A

Andrew Mitchell
Chief Whip
2012

UK Politics (10 decks)

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