The Prime Minister and executive. Flashcards Preview

A level Politics. > The Prime Minister and executive. > Flashcards

Flashcards in The Prime Minister and executive. Deck (15)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

What is the structure of the executive?

A
  • The Prime Minister and her or his close advisors.
  • The cabinet.
  • Various bodies that feed information and advice onto the cabinet.
  • Government departments.
  • The senior civil servants who serve governments.
  • Various advisers and policy-developing bodies that serve government departments.
  • There may also be a few very senior officials of the governing party who hold no official post but who are intimately involved in party development.
2
Q

What are the features of the PM?

A
  • The official title of the PM is First Lord of the Treasury. It does inducate that the PM has ultimate control over economic policy.
  • Leadeer of the governing party.
  • Enjoys prerogrative powers.
  • Party leader in H of C.
3
Q

Who is the PM supported by?

A
  • Cabinet secretary.

- Staffed by senior civil servants.

4
Q

What are the features of the UK cabinet?

A
  • All meetings are appointed by the PM.
  • Normally numbers 20-25 members.
  • The members are senior government ministers.
  • Normally meets once a week.
  • Its proceedings are secret.
5
Q

What are the rankings of ministers?

A

Secretary of state: a senior minister who runs a large department.

Minister of state: he or she will run a subdivision of the department.

6
Q

What are the roles of ministers and their departments?

A
  • Develop policies in the area of responsibility.
  • Prepare the case for the implementation of policy to the cabinet as a whole.
  • Organise the passage of legislation through Parliament.
7
Q

What are the roles of the executive?

A
  • The development of government policy.
  • Conducting foreign policy.
  • Organising the country’s defence against external and internal threats.
  • Managing the state’s finances.
  • Responding to major problems or crises.
  • Controlling and managing the forces of law and order.
8
Q

What is individual ministerial responsibility?

A

IMR is a constitutional convention. It has four main elements:
1} Ministers muat be prepared to be accountable to Parliament.
2} If a minister makes a serious error of judgement, he or she should be required to resign.
3} If a minister’s department makes a serious error, he or she is honoured to resign.
4} If a minister’s conduct falls below the standards, he or she should leave office.

9
Q

What developments have undermined this?

A
  • Ministers are no longer prepared to accept responsibility.
  • This means that ministers are prepared to lay the blame on lower-ranking officials and civil servants.
  • It is now up to the PM to debate whether a minister should be removed from office under the doctrine.
10
Q

What is collective ministerial responsibility?

A

Collective ministerial responsibility is an unwritten convention of the constitution.

11
Q

Why is it important?

A
  • It gives the government a strong sense of unity.
  • It can help the PM maintain his or her own dominance.
  • It stifles dissendence within the government.
  • It helps ministers explain their reservations privately.
  • It can protect individual ministers from pressure.
12
Q

What are the powers of the PM?

A
  • Patronage.
  • Negotiate foreign treaties.
  • Commander-in-chief.
  • Conducts foreign policy and determines relationships with foreign powers.
  • Heads the cabinet system.
13
Q

What are the powers of the Cabinet?

A
  • They determine government policy.
  • They establish the presentation of that policy.
  • They control Parliament’s agenda.
  • They determine government priorities, establishing a programme of action.
14
Q

What are the limitations of the PM?

A
  • May be overruled.
  • May not be able to command Parliament.
  • May lose the confidence of her own party.
15
Q

Is the Prime Minister effectively a president?

A

Yes:

  • Takes on many roles as head of state.
  • Election of governing party owes much to the PM’s leadership.
  • Chief foreign policy maker.
  • Makes strategic military decisions.
  • Controls the intelligence services at home and abroad.
  • Negotiates and agrees foreign treaties.

No:

  • He or she is not head of state.
  • Not directly elected.
  • Increasingly subject to Parliamentary approval.
  • Can no longer command armed forces to action.
  • Can be removed from office by Parliament or by their own party.
  • Powers of the PM are not codified in a constitution.
  • Cannot promote patrioric support for the state.