EXTRA-Civil Service

Question 1

What does the civil service comprise of?

Answer 1

all government departments and executive agencies in Great Britain and includes the Diplomatic Service

Question 2

How many civil servants were there in 2016 which were full time?

Answer 2

315,000

Question 3

Who is the head of each department of the civil service?

Answer 3

a Permanent Secretary

Question 4

Who were usually those selected for the civil service?

Answer 4

those with first class degrees from older and more prestigious universities

Question 5

Since the 1990’s what has there been a broadening basis of recruitment of? (3)

Answer 5

• increased recruitment of non-oxbrudge universities
• a movement away from the arts subjects
• greater scope for women and members of ethnic minorities

Question 6

What have various enquires into the ‘bias’ of the civli service suggested?

Answer 6

that it may not be a conscious preference for a certain type of character, more that younger people with those backgrounds tend to apply to join the civil service

Question 7

What are 3 qualities of candidates from oxbridge when they perform well in interviews?

Answer 7

• confidence
• well spoken
• plenty of savour faire

Question 8

in 2016 what % of civil servants were from an ethnic minority background?

Answer 8

11.2%

Question 9

What % of civil servants were between 30-59?

Answer 9

80%+

Question 10

What are the 4 core roles of the higher civil service who work in Whitehall?

Answer 10

• preparing legislation
• administration
• helping to develop the departments attitudes and work
• policy implementation/management

Question 11

How do higher civil servants perform the role of preparing legislation?

Answer 11

they draw up answers to parliamentary questions

Question 12

How do the higher civil servants perform the role of administration?

Answer 12

they oversee and carry out the day to day work of the department

Question 13

What may be involved when the higher civil servants perform the role of administration when they oversee and carry out the day to day work of the department?

Answer 13

meeting up with representatives of pressure groups ro dealing with difficult, non routine practical problems

Question 14

What are the 3 doctrines of the higher civil service?

Answer 14

• Impartiality
• Permanence
• Neutrality

Question 15

unlike the US what do the civl servants not do at election time?

Answer 15

they do not change

Question 16

What is the permanence of the civil service associated with?

Answer 16

experience and continuity

Question 17

What does permanence coupled with confidentiality mean for civil servants?

Answer 17

that they can speak frankly to ministers without fear of dismissal

Question 18

What could the permanence, which means ‘no change at the top’ mean?

Answer 18

that the civil service is stifled from fresh thinking and new initiatives

Question 19

What does it mean by neutrality?

Answer 19

officials are required to be politically impartial , not letting their personal political leanings affect their actions

Question 20

Why would it be difficult for the civli servants to remain in office?

Answer 20

if they were partisan

Question 21

What have some political observers claimed the British civil service to have become in the last decade of the 20th century?

Answer 21

increasingly politicised

Question 22

Why do some critics argue that neutrality puts it too strongly?

Answer 22

as civil servants are expected to further the policies of the elected government

Question 23

Who are special advisers?

Answer 23

these are advisers who are appointed to provide political advice, assessment and support to ministers, offering an alternative perspective to those provided by civil servants

Question 24

IN what 2 decades was there an increase of the number of special advisers?

Answer 24

1980’s and 1990’s

Question 25

How is the PM supposed to appoint senior civil servants?

Answer 25

from a handful of shortlisted candidates purely on the basis of merit without political consideration

Question 26

Which PM exercised their powers of patronage to select senior civil servants who were efficient managers and who were sympathetic to the governments aims?

Answer 26

Margret Thatcher

Question 27

What is the role of civil servants under anonymity?

Answer 27

to offer confidential advice in secret

Question 28

What would be endangered if civil servants became public figures?

Answer 28

this would endanger their reputation for neutrality as they could be identified with a particular policy

Question 29

Other than being identified by the public with a particular policy, what might also prevent civil servants from offering frank advice to ministers?

Answer 29

if they knew they could be named

Question 30

What are 3 disadvantages of anonymity

Answer 30

• conceal poor advice
• give less incentive for officials to improve their effectiveness
• shield them from consequences of any inadequacy

Question 31

How have civil servants become less anonymous?

Answer 31

they are more recognisable from investigatory reports and they appear before select committees of the HOC